This year is set to be a big one for Sony Ericsson. The company is releasing a number of XPERIA-branded Android smartphones in Australia in the coming months, including the much publicised Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc. It is also bringing to market the XPERIA Neo: An Android smartphone that is heavily focussed on entertainment and yet another phone that will compete with Apple's iPhone 4.
Read out our detailed preview of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo and see our roundup of the best upcoming smartphones in 2011.
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo features a built-in HDMI port, a Bravia graphics engine that is claimed to offer smoother and crisper video playback, along with an 8-megapixel camera that borrows a sensor from Sony's Cyber-shot digital camera line.
With all this in mind, how does the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo stack up against the iPhone 4 when it comes to specifications?
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo vs. Apple iPhone 4: Specifications
| Feature | Apple iPhone 4 | Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo | Verdict? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system (OS) | Apple iOS | Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread | Draw |
| Display size | 3.5in | 3.7in | XPERIA Neo |
| Display technology | Capacitive retina IPS | LED-backlit LCD 'Reality Display' | Unknown |
| Display resolution | 640x960 pixels | 480x854 pixels | iPhone 4 |
| Multitouch | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Camera | 5 megapixels, LED flash, autofocus, geotagging | 8 megapixels, LED flash, autofocus, geotagging, face and smile detection | XPERIA Neo |
| FM radio | No | Yes | XPERIA Neo |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Internal memory | 16GB or 32GB | 320MB | iPhone 4 |
| Expandable memory | No | microSD card slot | XPERIA Neo |
| Dimensions | 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm | 116 x 57 x 13mm | XPERIA Neo |
| Weight | 137g | 126g | XPERIA Neo |
| Application store | Apple App Store | Google Android Market | iPhone 4 |
| Processor | Apple A4 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 'Scorpion' (1GHz) | Unknown |
| 3G networks | HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 | HSDPA 850/1900/2100 | iPhone 4 |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g/n | Draw |
| Bluetooth | 2.1 with A2DP | 2.1 with A2DP | Draw |
| HDMI-out | No | Yes | XPERIA Neo |
| Quoted talk time | Up to 7 hours | Up to 7 hours | Draw |
| Quoted standby time | Up to 300 hours | Up to 400 hours | XPERIA Neo |
| Adobe Flash support | No | Yes | XPERIA Neo |
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo vs. iPhone 4: Design and display
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo is not as thin as the XPERIA Arc, but it still has a major emphasis on its design. It is constructed of glossy plastic and features a curved shape that Sony Ericsson claims is ergonomically designed to fit perfectly in the user's hand, particularly when taking photographs.
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo's 3.7in screen is slightly larger than the iPhone 4's 3.5in display. Sony Ericsson describes it as a 'Reality display'; this sits alongside other fancy display names including the iPhone 4's 'Retina display', the Samsung Galaxy S II's Super AMOLED Plus' display and the 'Nova display' of the LG Optimus Black. In short, Sony Ericsson claims the Reality display is brighter and clearer than competing displays.
Apple's iPhone 4 uses IPS technology (the same used on the iPad, and thanks to its high 640x960 pixel resolution it has been described as a retina display, due to the human eye being unable to distinguish individual pixels.
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo Android phone has a 3.7in 'Reality display'.
