Sony xperia T v Samsung S111 v S3 mini

partnership

Ok need to upgrade my phone and looking at the Xperia T, Samsung S3 and S3 mini.

Can get the mini and the Sony T free but would have to pay 150 for the S111.

Does anyone have any of these phones and how do they rate them in particular the Sony T as I have heard a lot about the S111.

To be honest I really want the S111 but find it hard to justify the money!

All opinions welcome. I use phone for calls, texts, facebook, email, web browsing. Not for music.

StaticNoise

I have been a loyal Sony user for years, and I've even worked with them, so it pains saying this: avoid them. They've really dropped the ball. They're releasing a 'better' 'flagship' model every week, they are shocking with fixes and updates, and battery is never good, despite being a good size. You need to get technical to fix these issues.

The SIII is popular for a reason, and albeit not free, is very much worth it.

Danger781

partnership wrote: »

Ok need to upgrade my phone and looking at the Xperia T, Samsung S3 and S3 mini.

Can get the mini and the Sony T free but would have to pay 150 for the S111.

Does anyone have any of these phones and how do they rate them in particular the Sony T as I have heard a lot about the S111.

To be honest I really want the S111 but find it hard to justify the money!

All opinions welcome. I use phone for calls, texts, facebook, email, web browsing. Not for music.

First off, go with what you want. You don't need someone else opinion to justify getting the phone you know you want.

But here we go I guess..

Design:
Personally I'm a fan of the Sony Xperia T. I think it's a really sleek looking phone compared to the plastic casing of the SIII. The bezel seems to blend in better on the T as well. If you look at the SIII you can clearly see where the screen ends and the bezel begins.

Power:
Despite the SIII technically being more of a beast on paper, the Xperia T still came out on top on benchmark scores by GSMArena.com
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_tx_t_and_v_benchmarks_are_here_promising_too-news-4722.php

Screen:
Both are capable of displaying 720p resolutions. the Xperia T has 323ppi and the SIII 306ppi, which is a negligible difference.

Storage:
Both have 1GB RAM and 16GB on board storage out of the box and both are capable of taking a microSD card. However the S3 can take up to 64GB, while the Xperia T can only take 32GB (according to GSMArena.com)

Camera:
Xperia T wins here hands down. A whopping 13MP camera versus an 8MP. Xperia T also has a dedicated camera button on the side of the phone so you don't even have to open the application to take a picture. Just point and press.

Interface:
TouchWiz (SIII) vs. Timescape UI (Xperia T) - This is all down to personal preference. If you don't know what I'm talking about here, this is the layout and colour scheme that each manufacturer puts on their devices. Even though the both run android, each has their own distinctive take on things.

Software:
I have to go with Samsung and the SIII on this one. Samsung have really added some special features here like Smart Stay and their new Executive Suite update (Google these if you don't know), but also they're generally better at releasing software updates when new versions of Android are released.

partnership

Thanks danger 781 that does a good comparison. How about the mini is it the poor relation?

I have also had problems with Sony, I have sony xperia arc and since I updated the software it does not notify me if there is a text or email - this is a bug which has gone on for months and sony do not appear to be willing to fix. If that is the case how will they be with the T?

StaticNoise

As you said above, Sony seem more focused on getting a foothold in the mobile industry and making a name for themselves, without the Ericsson part, by dropping phones with serious specifications. By doing this they have stupidly forgot how to market a phone for consumers properly (calling every single phone a 'flagship' device, releasing them every other week), and by totally abandoning their software and updates to fix bugs and create stable devices.

For example, I bought the 'flagship' Sony Xperia S. It was a proper phone. 12MP camera, great features, nice design, etc.
This was their first 'solo' phone, and it was their 'flagship'. It came with Gingerbread out of the box. ICS was announced months prior. ICS finally drops on the handset months later, and Jelly Bean was announced only shortly after. By the time the phone had received the update, Sony had released four other phones, all 'flagship'. Then came 2012. More phones. Now it's 2013. The newer 2012/2012 phones are getting Jelly Bean BEFORE the Xperia S. If anything, the Xperia S (and no doubt the other phones from that quarter) will get their update late this year. If you've got a bug- you're screwed- you're putting up with it. Or, you need to root your phone and flash a custom ROM by dedicated Android enthusiasts who are doing it as a hobby in their spare time. Oh, I nearly forgot: by rooting your phone and putting on software to fix the bugs, you're voiding your warranty. Ironic, huh?

Stay away from Sony. Even the new phones. And this is coming from someone who has had strong links and worked directly for and indirectly with them for years. And, I don't mean in the mere 'phone repair shop' world.



As for the Mini: it is a slightly better cheapo Samsung phone. For the price, it is better to pay that little bit more and get the daddy. Really.

Danger781

Most manufacturers are going to stop releasing updates after a period of time to certain devices unless there is a bug that requires immediate attention. I still have my HTC Desire which was HTC's flagship at one point, but was never given an OTA upgrade past 2.2.. There was an option of upgrading it yourself to 2.3.

I personally fully intend on rooting any new phone I get once the 1 year warranty is up. Same with my Nexus 7.

chrislad

I wouldn't go for the S3 Mini against the Xperia T. I've used the T for a few days nice, and it's nice. Don't really like Timescape, but then agai n, I end up using Apex Launcher for pretty much every android phone I have anyways!

BostonB

I don't see how Sony are any different from the other manufacturers in dropping support for older models and being slow to release updates. Its one of the hassles with Smartphones.

StaticNoise

The lack of update for older models is completely and utterly acceptable, and something which is across the board- however, when you are not releasing adequate bug fixes, or even major updates, to devices which are less than a year old and were marketed as the 'flagship' phone, you expect a certain amount of loyalty from your manufacturer.

If you've dropped a couple hundred quid to them, and have given an element of trust to the company, you expect a certain level of support.

BostonB

Galaxy Ace II was released mid 2012 and is still on Android 2.3. Xperia S relases start of 2012 on v2.3 , currently got v4.0.4, Jelly Bean during February and March. TBH this is hardly news, all android phones have had the same issue with the exception of the Nexus. On some phones you have to wait for the Network customised update which is even later if it ever turns up. O2 never updated the Nokia E71 one I for example. Until recently they sold the SE X8 with 2.1

StaticNoise

But going back to OP's question- sticking with Samsung would be better for updates, anyway.

BostonB

So I give you an example of a Samsung that's newer, from last year, but has older version of OS, and no updates yet.
Your Sony which is only slightly older, has had multiple updates, and you say Samsung is better for updates????

If you want the latest updates as they are release no delay, you get a nexus. Incidentally the Apple 3GS which is from 2009 got the latest IOS updates. I wonder how many Android phones from 2009 will get that the latest update.

History of Nexus updates are here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Nexus#Comparison_of_phones

Xperia S here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Xperia_S#Software

partnership

Thanks for all the comments they were very helpful. I think it boils down to what I need in a phone and for me what it looks like is also important. In relation to sony and updates it does not bother me if the software is not updated regularly - half the time I dont even think of looking to see if an update exisists. However I did update the software on my sony and after that the LED notification for texts and emails did not work. This is a bug and they have not fixed it so it is what annoys me not the lack of updates. I really like the look of the samsung but am slow to buy it because of the cost.

dinneenp

Which did you go for in the end?
I'm looking of a new smartphone and looking at similar ones to you.
thanks

Saint_Mel

I'm on my 2nd Xperia T in the space of 4 months! 1st one developed a microphone fault that resurfaced after repair and then stopped charging altogether after the 2nd repair.

Eventually got a replacement and the outgoing mic volume appears low again!

As they say its a great phone so long as you don't want to make a phone call with it!