Everyone is waiting for local brands like Starmobile, Cherry Mobile, or MyPhone to start offering affordable LTE-enabled smartphones. It’s really the next step for them and it also helps that Smart just rolled out their prepaid LTE SIM cards for smartphones. However we really don’t have to wait for a local brand to come out with an affordable LTE device because there’s already one out for quite a while now. Heck it’s even water-resistant.
Sony Xperia V: Saksakan sa Sulit?
The Sony Xperia V was Smart’s and Sony’s first LTE device that was offered via postpaid around 1 year ago. Taking look at the specs it actually still is quite competitive given that the processor is Qualcomm, it has 1GB RAM, and it’s updatable to Android Jelly Bean (from ICS). It even has a very competitive display as it has 342 pixels per inch (pwede!). It’s also easy to handle and use with one hand since it just has a 4.3-inch display.
Here’s a quick rundown of the specifications.
Sony Xperia V Spec Sheet
- Dual-core 1.5GHz Krait Processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon Chip Set)
- Adreno 225 GPU
- 1GB RAM
- 8GB Internal Storage, Expandable up to 32GB via microSD Card
- 4.3-inches TFT capacitive touchscreen (16M colors)
- 720×1280 pixels, ~342 ppi pixel density
- Scratch Resistant Glass, Song Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2
- IP57 certified – dust and water resistant
- Water proof up to 1 meter and 30 minutes
- Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, WiFi, HSPA+, LTE, 3G, GPS
- 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus and LED flash
- VGA Front-Facing Camera
- 1750mAh Battery
- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (Upgradeable to Jelly Bean Q1 2013)
As you can see the only downer there is the 1,750mAh battery. However that can easily be addressed by having a power bank or mobile charger with you.
So what’s our reco? Get a Sony Xperia V for Php13,100 (you can buy it here) and then get a Smart LTE prepaid smartphone SIM card and you’re golden.
If you have a little more budget you can just add Php1,400 and get the Sony Xperia SP. It has better specs, form factor, and over-all design. You can get one here.
By the way, the Sony Xperia V is found on two of our Top 10 lists for mid-2013:
Top 10 Water-Resistant Gadgets
Top 10 LTE Smartphones Under Php21,000