Sony Xperia ion vs LG Nitro HD

Introduction:

Being the new kid on the block that’s attached with a killer price point out of the gate, the Sony Xperia ion is surely going to be attracting quite a few heads in AT&T stores all around. However, the LG Nitro HD has being making the rounds for quite some time now, and as we look online, it’s now affordably priced at $49.99 with a 2-year contract. Knowing that these two share some commonalities, it’s going to be a mad dash to the finish line to find out exactly which smartphone will end up taking your hard-earned cash at the end of the day. Let’s find out shall we?

Design:

Neither one actually comes off as sporting a fresh design that we haven’t seen before, but if we’d had to pick, we’d stick with the Sony Xperia ion with this one – mainly for the fact that it’s sporting a more pronounced industrial design. Additionally, Sony’s offering exudes a premium finish with its brushed metallic casing, which so happens to give it more sturdiness than the all-plastic construction of the LG Nitro HD. Conversely, the selling points going for LG Nitro HD is its lightweight and comforting feel in the hand – though, its overall design is bland by today’s standards.



Seeing that these are Android 2.3 Gingerbread powered devices out of the box, they naturally feature Android capacitive buttons. On one hand, we have no issues activating the Nitro HD’s trio of buttons, but we’re frustrated beyond belief trying to press on any of the Xperia ion’s four capacitive buttons. Furthermore, the physical power and volume buttons of the LG Nitro HD are more preferable since they’re responsive – whereas the Xperia ion’s buttons are indistinct to the touch and stiff.

Right away, Sony’s flagship is flexing its muscles by sporting the beefier 12.1-megapixel camera with Exmor R sensor. Oppositely, the LG Nitro HD’s 8-megapixel baby is still respectable against most other things. In addition, they both share single LED flashes and the ability to shoot 1080p videos. As for their front-facing cameras, they come to the table packing the same 1-megapixel camera with the ability to shoot in 720p.

No doubt we like that we’re able to gain access to the Nitro HD’s internal battery, but both offer the convenience of expandable memory their microSD card slots. However, we take notice of the Sony Xperia ion’s convenient microHDMI port for video out, whereas the Nitro HD relies on its microUSB port with the aid of an MHL adapter for the same functionality.



Display:

Visually, it’s almost difficult to say which display is the superior between the two, even more when they’re exquisite looking to the eye. Specifically, the Xperia ion features the larger 4.6” HD Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine, while the Nitro HD sizes up with its 4.5” True HD IPS display. On paper, the Nitro HD has the higher pixel density of 326 ppi, versus 323 ppi for the Xperia ion, but it doesn’t really matter seeing they’re equally detailed from various distances. On top of that, we love their punchy color production and high-contrast. However, the slight advantage goes to the Nitro HD for the mere fact that it maintains its crisp appearance at all angles – whereas the Xperia ion tends to distort at extreme angles. Outdoors though, we’re still finding ourselves shielding them from the sun.

Interface and Functionality:

Even now, we cringe knowing that these two very equipped smartphones are running the outdated Android 2.3 Gingerbread experience out of the box, but despite that, it’s masked by their customized interfaces. At their core, they both deliver the goods in their functionality and deep level of personalization. With Sony’s custom UI, it seems to be a bit cleaner with its presentation, which is evidenced by its translucent widgets and app drawer. However, with the LG Optimus 2.0 skin on the Nitro HD, it has a somewhat cartoony look with its boxy icons and bright colors. Honestly, we don’t find one to be superior to the other – meaning, it’ll vary on the individual’s personal preference.



Visually, their various organizer apps might differ in presentation and style, but regardless of that, they boast all the same functionality that we typically find on all other Android smartphones.

Even though their displays are separated by a mere 1/10 of an inch, they’re both more than effective enough in typing up messages without issues. In fact, their layouts are roughly the same size to provide comfort in steady typing, while their responses are equally instantaneous.




Processor and Memory:

Part of the reason why these two bad boys are priced so low is due to the fact that they’re utilizing the previous-generation Snapdragon chipset. Under the hood, these two devices are powered by the same 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. On the surface, it’s almost unrecognizable as to which one is the better performer, especially when they’re pretty quick with most operations. However, we do notice a subtle hint of choppiness with the LG Nitro HD’s movement with a live wallpaper activated – but still, it’s not bad at all! Aside from that one standout, there isn’t one that particularly jumps at us with the superior performance.

Out of the box, the Nitro HD’s microSD slot is preoccupied by a 16GB microSD card, which supplements its 1.88GB of internal storage. Though nice, it’s not as good as the 11.24GB of free internal storage of the Xperia ion – plus its available microSD slot.

Internet and Connectivity:

Needless to say, we’re spoiled nowadays since these two Android smartphones pack 4G LTE connectivity for wickedly fast data speeds. However, they’re marred by some choppy navigational controls as we’re perusing complex web sites like ours. Of course, heavy Adobe Flash content tends to make the choppiness more pronounced, but it doesn’t hinder the experience to the point of making it unbearable.




Seeing that they’re both GSM smartphones, they’re perfect for international traveling, as they’re compatible to work with various GSM networks around the globe. Furthermore, they pack common connectivity features such as aGPS, Bluetooth, mobile hotspot functionality, and Wi-Fi. However, the Xperia ion is sure to benefit with mobile payments since it packs NFC.

Camera:

Without question, the Sony Xperia ion’s 12.1-megapixel camera with its Exmor R sensor is the better performer with taking still shots over the 8-megapixel snapper of the LG Nitro HD. Flaunting its prowess, the Xperia ion captures our attention with its sharper details and saturated color reproduction. In low lighting, however, the Xperia ion exhibits more noise with its results, but nevertheless, its LED flash works better for the simple reason that it lights up to allow focusing prior to snapping the shot. With the Nitro HD, its LED flash doesn’t activate beforehand – resulting in more out of focus images.


Likewise, the Xperia ion’s 1080p video recording quality excels over its rival, as it maintains a good balance between its details, exposure, and color reproduction. Sadly, the Nitro HD’s 1080p videos are softer in tone, with various degrees of artifacting and over-exposure present. However, the audio recording of both handsets appear to sound somewhat distorted.

Sony Xperia ion Sample Video:



LG Nitro HD Sample Video:



Multimedia:

Honestly, we’re humbled to find some refreshing music players with the two handsets, as they both sport their own uniqueness to stand out from the usually boring stock Android music player. In terms of audio quality from their respective speakers, there’s no denying the weak output of the Xperia ion – whereas the Nitro HD’s tones are a bit stronger.




Witnessing a flawless performance playing our test video encoded in DivX 1920 x 1080 resolution, both smartphones are worthy enough to provide a pleasant video watching experience on the road. Thanks to its Mobile BRAVIA Engine, our eyes gravitate more towards the Xperia ion seeing that it adjusts the color saturation of the display to better adapt to the playing video.

Call Quality and Battery:

After placing several calls, it’s a toss-up as to which is the preferred choice with calling quality. On one hand, we’re presented with clear voices on both ends of the line with the Xperia ion, but we can’t hear them for the life of us since its volume output is pitifully weak. Meanwhile, there’s no volume issue with the LG Nitro HD, but we’re combating some crackle with its earpiece and choppy voices.

Compared to some of their highly esteemed rivals, these two handset offer below average battery life. In fact, we’re getting less than a single day out of a full charge with our normal usage consisting of mostly web browsing, email, text messaging, and the occasional phone call. Obviously, it doesn’t get better with 4G LTE, as the faster connection depletes battery like a starving animal on the prowl for a snack.

Conclusion:

If money isn’t a concern to you, we’d recommend sticking with the Sony Xperia ion – despite being double the price at $99.99 on-contract. For the $50 price difference from its rival, you get a better looking smartphone that’s exceptionally more equipped in taking photos and videos. Beyond that, there are still some other key advantages found with it, like offering an unoccupied microSD slot, dedicated microHDMI port, and NFC. However, if you’re really strapped for cash, you can still get by using the LG Nitro HD, since it offers nearly the same functionality at half the cost. All in all, we can totally agree that you get a ton of value with these two without forking over most of the money from your paycheck.

Sony Xperia ion vs LG Nitro HD Video Comparison: