Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V versus Sony Xperia neo L

If you're an avid follower of Android you may be aware that Sony have added a new Xperia neo to their catalogue. You may have also noticed that it's unlikely to see the light of day in the UK, as it's stuck behind the Great Wall of China, probably for all eternity. So in the absence of Sony MT25i Xperia neo L, we took a look at just what we're missing out on.

Sony Ericsson launched Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V in August 2011, just 2 months before Sony and Ericsson went their separate ways. Now Sony are continuing their Xperia neo range with the addition of Sony Xperia neo L. It is to be the first Android phone that Sony have released with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) already installed, and it's only available in China!

It's a peculiarity of the mobile phone industry to churn out successive handsets that are almost mirror image clones of their previous namesake, and Sony Xperia neo L is a classic example.

Short of the few minor adaptations, which centre around the phone dimensions, there is very little else to report. Sony Xperia neo L has a slightly larger screen, measuring 4.0 inches compared to neo V's 3.7 inch. Neo L has also lost a little from its midriff, with a measurement of 12.2 mm against neo V's 13 mm circumference. Likewise, Sony Xperia neo L has had an increase in weight, 131.5 grams against neo V's 126 grams.

As you can see from the spec table below all other specifications remain the same, though you can expect a little extra browsing time from one battery charge on Sony Xperia neo L. As mentioned above, Sony Xperia neo L is the first Android phone from Sony to be released with Ice Cream Sandwich already in place, which makes a refreshing change. But the overall specs are so last year darling.

There is what is now becoming a basic, 1 GHz single-core Scorpion processor running both Android handsets, enough to have a smooth experience but not mind blowing. Both phones have a 1500 mAh Li-Po battery, a 5 MP rear facing camera and a basic VGA face-time snapper. There's also 1 GB of storage on each, although only up to 320 MB is available for users.

Time will tell whether we do end up seeing Sony Xperia neo L in the UK, or elsewhere outside of China, but it seems we won't really be missing out on that much anyway. There are much more exciting Android phones from Sony in the pipeline, such as Sony Xperia Sola, with its unique 'floating touch' screen.

Specifications