'DNA' Digital: Windows Phone vs Android — The battle in the mid range

Thanks to Nokia, the prices of smartphones running on Windows Phone has steadily been falling. As a result, if you are looking for a mid-range smartphone, it is no longer a question of choosing between the various Android-based smartphones.

I used the Nokia Lumia 610 and Motorola Defy XT, which have been launched recently. Here are my impressions.

Motorola Defy XT
The Motorola Defy XT, a rugged-looking phone, is certified dust-proof and water resistant. (Do note it is not water-proof.) Unfortunately, it also looks chunky, though the rubberised body does redeem the design somewhat. Despite the looks, the phone feels solid in the hand. The 3.7inch screen has a resolution of 480x854 pixels, and was bright enough to use even under the sunlight. The phone is powered by a 1GHz processor, which is assisted by 512MB of RAM. I was worried by the slight lag while switching between screens. The stutter doesn’t affect the experience while using apps, but it is a minus nonetheless. The phone runs on Android 2.3, Gingerbread, which is a bit of a disappointment - you expect Android phones to come loaded with at least Ice Cream Sandwich these days. But what I liked about the phone is that it comes with minimal bloatware.

Nokia Lumia 610
The review unit of the Nokia Lumia 610 I received was bright blue in colour with a shiny blue band along the edges.

With a resolution of 480x600, the screen of the Lumia 610 is comparable to the Defy XT. But thanks to the Windows Phone’s design, it is the former that looks sharper. However, the Defy XT’s screen is brighter of the two.

The Lumia 610 couples its 800 MHz processor with a separate graphics processor. Some of the games, however, lagged a bit. There were no issues, however, while using the phone for browsing or playing media files.

The user experience otherwise is standard issue Windows Phone 7.5, since Microsoft doesn’t allow manufacturers to tweak the OS like Android. In my opinion, Windows Phone is the more refined OS of the two. Then again, some may prefer Android’s tweak-ability over Windows Phone’s regimented experience. More important than user experience, however, is the availability of apps. In terms of sheer number of apps available, Android wins hands down.  If you need a smartphone mainly to check emails and do basic browsing, then the Lumia 610 is the better phone — it has a better design and a smoother user interface.

But if you are keen on using a variety of apps, the Defy XT is the phone for you among the two. However, do not forget to check out other Android-based phones in the same price range.