Google Nexus 4 vs. Sony Xperia ZR: Will Rugged Sony Smartphone Curtail LG's Android Handset Sales?

Sony's Xperia ZR set its foot into the Indian market just a few days ago with a sub-₹30,000 price tag, intensifying the war among high-end smartphones in the market.

Among the feature-rich smartphones, LG-Google Nexus 4, which made its India debut a little over a month ago, will feel the heat of the new Sony smartphone which comes with water and dust-proof certifications and exclusive camera technologies, all in the same price bracket.

For prospective buyers looking for an ideal ₹20K plus smartphones with high-end features, Nexus 4 and Xperia ZR tops the list. To get a clearer perspective, here is a brief comparison of main features between LG-Google Nexus 4 and Sony Xperia ZR:

Display:

Google Nexus 4 houses a 4.7-inch WXGA IPS screen panel with HD 1280x768p display resolution having a pixel density close to 318 ppi (pixels per inch), whereas the rugged Xperia ZR sports a 4.55-inch TFT 1280x720p screen with pixel density of close to 319 ppi and also boasts exclusive HD Reality and BRAVIA Engine 2 display technologies.

Processor:

In terms of power, both Nexus 4 and Xperia ZR stand even as they pack the same Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor with 1.5GHz CPU speed and Adreno 320 GPU graphics engine.

Storage and RAM:

Nexus 4 houses 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory with no slot for microSD card, restricting users from adding more games and applications. On the other hand, Xperia ZR boasts 2GB and an internal memory of a mere 8GB. Sony compensates for this shortcoming with a microSD slot, allowing users to expand memory up to 32GB.

Camera:

Google Nexus 4 sports an 8.0-megapixel camera on the rear side and a 1.3-megapixel front camera. The main camera boasts auto-focus, LED flash, 4X digital zoom and other standard features.

On the other hand, Xperia ZR sports a 13.1-megapixel main camera with LED flash support and has exclusive Sony Exmor RS camera lens technology which lets user take HDR (High Dynamic Range) videos with 1080p resolution. It also packs a VGA camera on the front.

Mobile Operating System:

In this department, both Nexus 4 and Xperia ZR stand even as they both run on the same ubiquitous Android OS. However, the LG phone being a co-product of Google holds the advantage of being the first smartphone among all android devices to get OS update. As of now, Nexus runs on the latest Android v4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS, whereas Xperia ZR still runs on an older OS v4.1.2 Jelly Bean.

Price:

Currently, Nexus 4 is now available for ₹25,990 in the market, whereas rugged Xperia ZR is priced a whopping ₹29,990, almost ₹4,000 more than the LG smartphone.

Considering the overall aspects and the tad expensive price-tag, Xperia ZR is still a good buy as it comes with solid build quality boasting IP55(Water-proof) and IP58(Dust-resistant) certifications. Users can record full HD video for 30 minutes under water for up to five feet.

Here is a breakdown of specifications of LG-Google Nexus 4 and Sony Xperia ZR:

 Prices vary depending on the market.