The Sony Xperia ZR vs. The Huawei Ascend P6 – A Feature and Value Comparison

In this article we compared the Sony Xperia ZR to the Huawei Ascend P6. Want to know which one is the better buy for your cash? Then read on and find out all the info you need, including our recommendation...

New mobiles can be a tough buying decision, there are just so many great devices on today's market that knowing which one to go with can be a nightmare. You're going to be spending a few hundred pounds, so you obviously want to make sure that you're making a good investment and getting good value for money. But you also want to make sure that you're getting the best phone that you can get for your money. Comparing mobile phones can be tough. Phones all come with spec sheets that detail their various features, and ideally you should be able to compare those spec sheets to find out which phone is the better device. But the sheets are crowded with technical language and numbers, and can be difficult for the average user to comprehend. That's why we've done some of the work for you. We've taken a closer look at some of the features on the best and hottest new phones out on the UK market. We then matched the phones up in head to head competitions to see exactly how they compared and which one fared the best. The two phones that we're looking at today are the Sony Xperia ZR and the Huawei Ascend P6. Want to know which one is the better buy for your cash? Then read on and find out all the info you need, including our recommendation...

Today's Two Models...

Sony are a household name in electronics, though they're probably preferred as TV manufacturers rather than a mobile brand. But Sony do produce some excellent mobile devices. Their Xperia series is a huge range that covers everything from the budget end of the market with the Xperia Tipo to the top end with the Xperia Z. The Xperia Z is an amazing device, and is one of the best phones on the market right now, but it's also pretty pricey. Which is probably why Sony have just released the Xperia ZR, basically the Xperia Z in a smaller and sportier package with a lower price tag. It's a great phone, but do you sacrifice too many features to get that lower price? Huawei are pretty new on the UK market, but they're already starting to make a name for themselves for producing good quality but very affordable devices. The Huawei Ascend P6 is actually one of their more expensive models, it's a new release and it's sleek and sexy looking. But can Huawei really compete with the likes of Sony?

The Cost...

If you're ready to sign a new mobile contract and want to buy your phone that way then you're out of luck with the Xperia ZR- it's not currently offered on contract with any of the major UK providers. The Huawei Ascend P6 is going to cost you between zero and three hundred pounds on contract, depending on the size of the contract that you sign. Bought brand new and SIM free, the Xperia ZR will cost you around four hundred pounds, whilst the Ascend P6 will go for around three hundred and fifty pounds.

Any Similarities?

These are both fully touch screened Android phones, and they're 3.5G so they should offer great mobile phone coverage and connectivity. They both run powerful 1500 MHz processor, so they're equally fast and responsive, and they both also have 8 GB of internal memory for storing photos, music and other data.

Why Choose the Sony Xperia ZR?

The Xperia does have a few advantages over the Ascend. It has a TFT LCD screen rather than the regular LCD screen on the Ascend, so it is brighter and has better colour reproduction. Plus there's slightly more PPI (pixels per inch) so the display is a little crisper and sharper with better definition. The in built camera on the Xperia is far higher resolution than that on the Ascend, since it's a massive 13 MP device versus the standard 8 MP camera on the Huawei. That means that your pictures are going to be better quality and will capture more fine detail. The camera also takes full high resolution HD video, whilst the one on the Ascend does not. If you often use a Bluetooth device, for example a hands free set in the car, then the Xperia is better equipped. It runs Bluetooth 4.0 rather than the older 3.0 version on the Huawei, so you'll get faster data transfer between devices and your phone will use less battery power when connecting to your Bluetooth device.

Why Choose the Huawei Ascend P6?

The Huawei Ascend P6 has a few advantages over the Xperia ZR though. It has a larger screen for a start, measuring in at 4.7 inches over four and a half inches. That doesn't sound like a big difference, but it is very noticeable, especially when doing things like typing on an on screen keyboard. Despite having the larger screen, the Huawei is actually around forty per cent smaller than the Xperia, as well as being around forty per cent thinner. It's also around ten per cent lighter, weighing in at 120 grams versus 140 grams for the Xperia. That makes the Ascend a lot more portable and easier to carry around with you. The battery life is better on the Ascend, which gets about forty per cent more talk time per battery charge cycle than the Xperia does, averaging around fifteen hours of active use versus just eleven hours for the Sony. That means less frequent phone charging. And finally, the Huawei runs a slightly newer version of the Android operating system, coming with 4.2 Jelly Bean rather than the 4.1 seen on the Xperia. Generally, a newer version will mean a little more speed and stability for your phone.

Which is Best?

These are both great phones, and neither one would disappoint. We do prefer the bigger screen on the Huawei Ascend P6, as well as the smaller price tag. However, the far better camera and display quality on the Sony Xperia ZR convince us that it's the better device for your money, well worth the extra fifty pounds or so.

Sam Jones decided to find out more about mobile phone coverage in his area. He turned to the internet and sites like uSwitch to find out more about the different providers in his region.

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