Overview: After the success of Sony’s first smartphone, the Sony Xperia S, the Japanese company has just rolled out a more affordable version. The Sony Xperia P looks pretty identical to its sister but it’s cheaper, so some elements like the screen size and camera resolution are slightly reduced.

Plugged:
• Xperia P’s 8MP camera works really well in both bright and dark conditions, thanks to its Exmor R technology. So well, in fact, that you can’t really tell the difference from pictures taken with the Xperia S’s 12MP camera unless you really use the zoom function.
• Its Sony BRAVIA technology featuring Reality Display with Magic promises a brighter screen whether in daylight or outdoors.
• We love its matted aluminum surface that’s extremely smooth in the palm.

Bugged:
• It shares the same three issues that put us off iPhones: the battery is non-removable, the memory is non-expandable with an SD card, and it’s only compatible with a micro sim card.
• Sony’s live wallpaper might look pretty but it seriously drains the battery life.
• Even though we’ve now handled quite a few different Xperia phones, we still think its user interface is tricky to navigate.
• The bottom part of the phone is changeable (to other colors) so there’s a possibility it may become loose after a while.

Verdict: Honestly, we don’t see much difference between this phone and the Xperia S, so if you’re a Sony devotee opt for this cheaper version. And if you’re not a big fan of Sony’s interface, there are better Android phones out there on the market.

Price: B14,990

Specs: 4-inch touchscreen (540 x 960 pixels) with BRAVIA technology, 1GHz dual-core processor, 8MP camera and VGA front camera, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, HD video (1080p) compatibility. 122 x 59.5 x 10.5 mm, 120 grams.