With all the talk going on about top end smart phones I thought I should slip in one comparison of a couple of mid level smart phones in here somewhere. I mean, these mid level smart phones aren’t promoted even half as much as some of their “bigger brothers.” And I don’t think that is fair as essentially they control a much larger market don’t they? Anyway, this comparison is going to be between the Nokia Lumia 520 and the LG Optimus L4 II. Now LG has been hard at work promoting its latest smart phone the LG G2 and hopefully this will help bring some of their other smart phones into the limelight as well. Which smart phone do you think is going to win here? Read on to find out...

Phone Nokia Lumia 520 LG Optimus L4 II
Image The Nokia Lumia 520 vs the LG Optimus L4 II-nokia_lumia_520.jpg The Nokia Lumia 520 vs the LG Optimus L4 II-lg_optimus_l4_ii.jpg
Operating System Windows Phone 8 Android 4.1.2 (JellyBean)
Processor Dual Core, 1000 MHz, Krait Single Core, 1000 MHz, ARM Cortex-A9
System Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8227 MediaTek MT6575
System Memory 512 MB RAM 0.5 GB RAM
Graphics Processor Adreno 305 PowerVR SGX 531
Display 4.0” IPS LCD 3.8” IPS LCD
Screen Resolution 800 x 480 pixels 480 x 320 pixels
Pixel Density 235 ppi 152 ppi
Storage 8 GB Internal memory + microSD / microSDHC / microSDXC up to 64 GB 4 GB User Memory + microSD / microsSDHC up to 32 GB
Primary Camera 5 MP 3 MP
Flash None LED
Secondary Camera None None
WiFi WiFi 802.11 a / b / g / n WiFi 802.11 b / g / n
Bluetooth 3.0 3.0
Battery 1,430 mAh 1,700 mAh
Weight 124 g 125 g
Dimensions 119.9 x 64 x 9.90 mm 112.5 x 64.7 x 11.90 mm
Announced 25th February 2013 05th June 2013


Size and weight

The most important point to note when comparing the size and weight of both these smart phones is that 0.2 inch = 5.08 mm. The Lumia 520 measures 119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm while the Optimus L4 II measures 112.5 x 64.7 x 11.9 mm. But, the Lumia 520 does have a larger display (0.2” bigger). Keeping that in mind, the difference in the length of both smart phones should not be considered as 7.4 mm but as 1.6 mm instead to account for the larger touch screen. And as far as the width and thickness is concerned, the Optimus L4 II is 0.7 mm narrower and 2 mm thicker. In terms of weight, both smart phones are pretty similar with the Lumia 520 weighing 124 g and the Optimus L4 II weighing 125 g.

It is tough to pick a winner when both smart phones are so similar and that is why this point is a draw.

(Nokia Lumia 520 - Zero / LG Optimus L4 II - Zero)


Display

As mentioned above, the Lumia 520 comes with a 4.0” IPS LCD touch screen while the Optimus L4 II comes with a 3.8” IPS LCD touch screen. Almost the same again right? But both these smart phones are quite different when it comes to pixel density. While the Lumia 520 has a pixel density of 235 ppi the Optimus L4 II has a pixel density of just 152 ppi. Seeing how the Optimus L4 II has such a low pixel density, it really makes me wonder how they managed to come out with a smart phone (LG G2) that has one of the highest pixel densities in the market today.

This point will be going to the Lumia 520 for its superior pixel density.

(Nokia Lumia 520 - One / LG Optimus L4 II - Zero)


Memory & Storage

When it comes to top end smart phones, this point is almost always lost by Nokia because of its lack of storage options, but in the mid end smart phone segment, the story is quite different. The Lumia 520 comes with 8 GB of internal memory while the Optimus L4 II comes with 4 GB of internal memory. But in terms of expandable memory, the Lumia 520 allows memory expansion up to 64 GB while the Optimus L4 II offers expansion only up to 32 GB. Both smart phones come with 512 MB of RAM.

I can’t really give this point to either smart phone as both smart phones support memory expansion and you can just get extra memory cards to further expand memory.

(Nokia Lumia 520 - One / LG Optimus L4 II - Zero)


Camera

This is quite a tricky point. The Lumia 520 comes with a 5 MP camera while the Optimus L4 II comes with a 3 MP camera. But, while the Lumia 520 does have a superior camera on the back, it lacks a flash of any sort and that is quite disappointing. The Optimus L4 II comes with n LED flash though and also has a 1.2 MP front facing camera which is another thing that the Lumia 520 lacks. Can you see the dilemma here?

After careful consideration I choose to give this point to the Optimus L4 II as I can live with a 3 MP camera on the back, but can’t live with a smart phone that lacks a flash and a front facing camera.

(Nokia Lumia 520 - One / LG Optimus L4 II - One)


OS & Performance

This point is much easier to decide. The Optimus L4 II comes with Android 4.1.2 (JellyBean) but can’t be upgraded to the latest Android operating system 4.2.2 (JellyBean). The Lumia 520 comes with Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows Phone 8. The Optimus L4 II comes with a MediaTek MT6575 chip and Single Core, 1000 MHz, ARM Cortex-A9 processor while the Lumia 520 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8227 chip and Dual Core, 1000 MHz, Krait processor. The graphics processor on the Lumia 520 is the Adreno 305 while the Optimus L4 II comes with a PowerVR SGX 531 graphics processor.

The point clearly goes to the Lumia 520 for its superior technology.

(Nokia Lumia 520 - Two / LG Optimus L4 II - One)


Battery

The 1,430 mAh battery on the Lumia 520 claims to have a stand by time of 15 days which is quite decent. But when you compare this against the Optimus L4 II and its 1,700 mAh battery claims an incredible stand by time of 27+ days which is almost twice as much as the Lumia 520. This is a classic example of a smart phone (Lumia 520) which is pretty decent but still loses a point simply because the other smart phone (Optimus L4 II) is spectacular.

The point goes to the Optimus L4 II.

(Nokia Lumia 520 - Two / LG Optimus L4 II - Two)


Price

When you compare the purchase price of both these smart phones, you won’t find too much of a difference. The Optimus L4 II can be purchased (free of contract) for $ 174 while the Lumia 520 can be purchased (free of contract) for $ 184. $ 10 isn’t too much money and both smart phones are tied at 2 points each before this. That means that the price is going to be the point which settles which smart phone wins this comparison. And since this point is defined purely by which smart phone is cheaper, it looks like the Optimus L4 II is going to win this point and this comparison.

The point goes to the Optimus L4 II.

(Nokia Lumia 520 - Two / LG Optimus L4 II - Three)


Conclusion

While the LG Optimus L4 II has won this comparison by 3 points to 2, I don’t think it’s fair to say that it is the better smart phone. The points the Optimus L4 II picks up are the battery, camera and price while the Nokia Lumia 520 picks up points for its display and technology. I for one, wouldn’t mind paying an extra $ 10 to get a smart phone with a superior display and technology although I will be really disappointed for having to forego a front facing camera and flash. Which one would you go for?

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