Nokia’s Lumia 920 vs. Sony’s Xperia Acro S: Pricing to Determine Battle for Platform Supremacy
Everything is almost fresh on Nokia Lumia 920 - the operating system, the spritely bright shells and the wide-array of connectivity options - all attractive features that would convince buyers to go grab the new smartphone from Finland.
Yet the question begs: Is the new Windows-powered phone the better option compared to the Xperia Acro S?
Acro S is yet another Android toy that Sony recently unveiled. Among its major bets for attraction are the latest version of Goggle's mobile platform, also known as JellyBean, HD image and video rendering on a 4.3-inch screen with 720p resolution and the ability to capture crystal clear pics and clip on a 12MP rear camera that comes with each unit.
The new Xperia model, Sony said, will never disappoint on its dual-core processor with a speed of 1.5GHz, which is the exact brain spin provided by Nokia with the latest high-end Lumia offering.
Pretty much, Nokia has elegantly matched what Sony has to offer and more - same resolution at 720p but with wider screen at 4.5 inches, same HD viewing that is enhanced by the Lumia's faster LCD refresh rate and a new camera technology called PureView that allows for phone owners to shoot and record stable images and videos.
The Lumia 920, however, is packed only with an 8.7MP rear camera, the lesser numbers, Nokia said, were more than compensated by the highly-advanced technology that governs the phone's camera functions.
During the smartphone's launch earlier this month in New York, Nokia centred the Lumia 920's features on its incredible camera and its cool wireless charging but tech watchers were more concerned to learn about how the phone would fare in the real world - how good a communication and productivity tool it would be.
Both the Acro S and the Lumia 920 has near-field communication (NFC) chips, which in effect gives owners of two phones digital extension of their wallets. The technology is apparently on the rise and could be in wide use real soon so Nokia and Sony were served well for embracing the function.
But Nokia scored one on Sony because unlike the Acro S, which is only 3G capable, the Lumia 920 is LTE/4G capable and is fully suitable with the 1800MHz LTE band currently deployed in Australia, most via Telstra and Optus.
Digital consumption is more efficient and enjoyable on the super-fast wireless network and Nokia will at least provide an alternative for Aussie consumers deliberately shunning the allure of iPhone 5, also capable of accessing LTE/4G networks.
While the Finnish mobile phone maker appears to enjoy some edge over its Japanese counterpart, the contest between the two firms' latest handsets will likely boil down on operating system and pricing.
Windows Phone 8 is the smartphone flavour of Microsoft's new OS and while its maker has largely suppressed info on how the platform would behave, PC World said it is highly customisable to users' preference for look and functions.
WP8 is also optimised to act as an efficient communication device, able to fully deliver owners' high expectations for their internet messaging and social media interactions, the publication added.
On the other hand, Android on Acro S has all the bangs that Google has been rolling out since the mobile OS was first introduced. Clearly, it has been tried, tested and accepted by millions the world over so Sony has the numbers on this respect.
Analysts, however, have been asserting that Windows 8 and all its variations on numerous gadgets to be unleashed ahead possess the characteristics that one day could make it the number one mobile platform in due time.
That of course will depend on how consumers will react on Windows-powered gadgets once they hit the market. In Nokia's case, Reuters said on Thursday the Lumia 920 will carry a tag price at least 10 per cent higher than that of Samsung's Galaxy S3, regarded as the first phone to give Apple serious headaches.
While Nokia and Aussie telcos have yet to provide definite pricing details for the Lumia 920, analysts said it would be hard both for Nokia and Microsoft to push out the phone in big numbers considering that bestselling Android phones were priced much lower.
In Europe, the new Nokia phone is slated to retail between $US770 and $US860, depending on the country or market and since tech products are generally more expensive in Australia, it is likely that the Lumia 920 will be offered locally at a more premium price as against to Sony's Acro S.
The latest published price of the new Sony gadget was around $750, which comes with a contract.