Sony Xperia M2 vs. BlackBerry Z3—Specifications, Features and Price Showdown

The new entrant BlackBerry Z3 has recently been launched in emerging markets like Indonesia, India and the Philippines. Other countries can expect to see this handset later this year. The Sony Xperia M2, on the other hand, was released in May 2014. Although both phones are budget-friendly phones, readers who are interested in the latest BlackBerry Z3 or the Sony Xperia M2 should check out the following specifications, features and price comparison.

Display, Exterior and Size

The Sony Xperia M2 comes with 4.8-inch TFT display bundled with 540 x 960 pixel screen resolution. Meanwhile, the BlackBerry Z3 features a relatively bigger 5.0-inch IPS LCD display with the same resolution as the Xperia M2. The pixel density of the BlackBerry Z3 and the Sony Xperia M2 stand at 220 and 229 ppi, respectively.

When it comes to exterior, the Sony Xperia M2 comes with a plastic body unlike high-end Xperia devices, which helps keep the handset's weight in check. However, the shiny plastic rear is prone to fingerprints and scratches, says Tech Radar. Similar to other BlackBerry handsets, the BlackBerry Z3 has a solid build. As NDTV puts it, "the Z3 is ridiculously good looking and its construction quality is impeccable." When it comes to the front, BlackBerry has used smooth glass with less bezel space surrounding the display. Notably, the back panel of the Z3 is made of textured plastic that gives the look of a rubberised back.

Thickness and weight of the Sony Xperia M2 are 0.34 inches and 148 g, respectively. Meanwhile, the BlackBerry Z3 is 0.36 inches thick and weighs 164 g. Hence, the Sony handset is both thinner and lighter.

Hardware, Software and Memory

The latest BlackBerry Z3 is powered by a dual-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400) Krait processor, clocked at 1.2 GHz. The Sony Xperia M2, on the other hand, is powered by a quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400) Cortex-A7 processor, clocked at 1.2 GHz. However, the Sony Xperia M2 houses only 1 GB of RAM, while the BlackBerry Z3 comes with 1.5 GB of RAM.

The Sony Xperia M2 runs on Android OS v4.3 Jelly Bean (upgradable to higher versions), while the BlackBerry Z3 runs on BlackBerry v10.2.1 OS. In addition, both phones offer 8 GB of internal storage and microSD card support for expansion up to 32 GB.

Camera and Battery

The BlackBerry device sports 5-MP rear-facing camera with LED flash, while the Sony device features an 8-MP rear-facing camera unit with LED flash. In addition, the Sony Xperia M2 houses a VGA shooter in the front, while the BlackBerry Z3 houses a 1.1-MP front-facing camera unit.

Also, the Sony Xperia M2 houses a good non-removable Li-Ion 2,300-mAh battery unit, whereas the BlackBerry Z3 houses a relatively better Li-Ion 2,500-mAh non-removable battery unit.

Connectivity, SIM and Colour

Both phones come equipped with Bluetooth v4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 and USB charging facility. Besides, both phones support micro-SIM. It is worth noting also that while several variants of the Sony Xperia M2 support dual-SIM mode, the BlackBerry handset doesn't.

Furthermore, both handsets do not come with micro HDMI port. Notably, it is one of the unique features of BlackBerry handsets and the BlackBerry Z10 comes with this port. Also, the Xperia M2 supports NFC, while the BlackBerry Z3 doesn't.

The Sony Xperia M2 comes in black, white and purple, whereas the BlackBerry Z3 comes in black at this point, although a white Z3 is awaited.

Price

The Sony Xperia M2 8 GB (with 4G LTE) can be purchased at AU$289.95. The BlackBerry Z3 8 GB, on the other hand, is available for Rs 15,990 in India, according to FlipKart. This roughly translates to about US$265 and AU$282.

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