The Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra – Is there a New Top Dog?

There are tons of top of the line mobile phones on the market these days, and choosing between them can be pretty tough. On a hot new release you're looking at spending at least five hundred pounds or so, which means you're going to want to seriously consider your buying options and make sure that you're spending your money wisely. But just how are you supposed to know which phone represents the best value for money? One of the biggest problems that the average shopper faces when mobile shopping is that there's an awful lot of technical jargon and big numbers being thrown around, this can be a little overwhelming and can make it difficult to know exactly what you're getting for your cash. But we're here to help you out. We've taken a closer look at some of the hottest new phones on the mobile market, and matched them up in head to head competitions to see exactly how they compare and how they differ. Hopefully, this is going to make your decision a lot easier. To find out more about today's two competitors and which one earns our seal of recommendation, then keep reading...

The Two Phones...

The Samsung Galaxy series needs little introduction. It's one of the best-selling phone series out there, and last year's model, the Galaxy S III, was widely considered by experts to be the best phone of 2012. The Samsung Galaxy S4 was an eagerly awaited release earlier in 2013, and has proven to be yet another smash hit for Samsung. It's loaded with high end features, and has some impressive specs, but it's got a hefty price tag too. The Sony Xperia series is another best-selling series, and has something to suit everyone from the high end Xperia Z to the budget Xperia Tipo. But the newest release, the Xperia Z Ultra, represents a new venture for Sony. The Xperia Z Ultra is what's known as a phablet; that is a phone that functions both as a mobile phone and as an Android tablet. It's got lots of nice features, and a huge price tag, and do you really want to carry around an Android tablet with you all day? These are both 4G devices, so you'll get fast mobile internet speeds as long as your operator offers 4G data plans, and they both run Android Jelly Bean 4.2, the latest operating system version. But which one is the better buy?

Price Point...

You're going to be spending a huge amount of money on either one of these devices. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is the cheaper mobile, going for a little over five hundred pounds in most outlets. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is priced at around six hundred pounds, and is going to need some impressive advantages to warrant spending an extra hundred pounds or so on.

Why the Samsung Galaxy S4 is Better...

There's no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is a great mobile device, and it has its advantages over the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. It has the better camera, for a start. The Galaxy comes with a 13 MP camera, as opposed to the standard 8 MP camera on the Z Ultra, so it captures more fine detail and takes better quality pictures. The camera also shoots high resolution full HD video, which the one on the Xperia can't do. You do get more internal storage on the Galaxy S4, which is a 32 GB device rather than the smaller 16 GB Xperia, though there is a cheaper 16 GB Galaxy version available through some retailers. This extra storage means more space to keep music, photos, games and other data. The screen on the Galaxy has around thirty per cent more PPI (pixels per inch) than that of the Xperia, so it's crisper, clearer and better defined. And as you might expect

since the Xperia is a phablet device, the Galaxy is the smaller phone, it's around thirty per cent smaller overall than the Xperia. It's also lighter by about forty per cent, weighing in at just 130 grams versus the 212 gram Sony hand set. Those are some pretty nice specs, but the Xperia has a few advantages too...

Why the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is Better...

You are going to be spending more on the Xperia Z Ultra, so you're going to want some bang for your buck, and you might just get it. The Xperia Z Ultra runs the faster processor, coming with a massive 2300 MHz model, one of the largest and fastest on the market, versus the 1900 MHz model on the Samsung. That means that the Xperia is not only faster and more powerful than the Galaxy, but also that it's more responsive to input. Obviously, you get a larger screen on a phablet versus on a more traditional smart phone, and the Xperia has a huge 6.4 inch screen rather than the regular five inch screen on the Samsung. And that extra screen space is pretty nice. Not only do you get a better viewing experience, especially when it comes to reading web pages without having to scroll around too much, but you can also type far more easily and comfortably on the pop up on screen keyboard. The Xperia does also include both a built in FM radio and a FM transmitter (which allows you to do things like listen to music through your car stereo without having to use a cable). A radio isn't a necessity these days, with so many great radio apps around, but it might be nice to have.

And the Winner is...

It is a bit of a difficult decision. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is the better device, it's got a far faster processor and a bigger screen, though it is more expensive. However, the pure size of the Xperia is going to be off putting for many people, it's not easy to slide into your pocket. If you're looking for portability than it will have to be the Samsung Galaxy S4, but if you're looking for the best mobile, then it's still the Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

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