Which Phone is the Better Value Motorola RAZR i or the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini?

  • Added:
    Oct 16, 2013
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Smart Mobile Phone Line-up
Smart Mobile Phone Line-up
Photo by Dru Bloomfield - At Home in Scottsdale

Choosing a new mobile phone can be a difficult decision. There are thousands of models to choose from, and deciding which one is right for you can be tough. However, there are a couple of factors that can help to narrow down your search, and aid you in finding a phone that will fulfil your needs and in making a purchase that you won't regret.


The first of these factors is money. You can get a budget smart phone for under a hundred and fifty pounds, whilst a top of the line newly released model is going to cost you close to six hundred pounds. A good mid-market phone will be priced somewhere between these two. You are going to be investing a fair amount of money, so you want to be sure that you're spending wisely and not wasting your cash.


The other factor is performance. Many of us are dependent on our mobiles so you want a phone that's reliable and isn't going to let you down. A budget phone is probably going to be lacking in a lot of the features that the average customer needs, whilst a top end phone will have great performance, but it will also have features that you don't need and don't want to pay for. In general, a mid-range phone is going to be the best compromise for most people.


You still have many mid-range models to choose from though, which makes doing a mobile phone comparison a good idea. By comparing you can see which phone is the best value for money. However, a mobile phone comparison might not be easy, since all those mobile descriptions contain plenty of technical language, so we're here to give you a hand.


We've looked at some of the most popular mid-market phones for you, and then matched models up into head to head comparisons. This lets you easily see which phone is the best buy. If you're looking for a great new phone and want to know that you're getting the best for your money, then keep reading to find out which of today's two phones we're going to be recommending.

Introducing the Two Phones...


Motorola is one of the oldest mobile brands around, and whilst they're not quite as popular as they used to be, they do still produce some very solid mobile devices. The Motorola RAZR i is a great mid-market buy, and it's got some serious power going on, not to mention a sleek look and other great features. It is up against big competition today though...


Samsung are one of the biggest brands on the current market, best known for their flagship Galaxy S4 model. The Galaxy S4 is pretty pricey though, which is why Samsung have released the Galaxy S4 Mini. The Mini sacrifices as few features when compared to the original S4, but it is much more affordable. Which of these two phones is going to come out on top?

What You'll be Paying...


For pay as you go phones or those that want a model not locked to an operator, you're best looking for a SIM free hand set. In this case, the Motorola RAZR i is going to cost you around three hundred and twenty pounds, and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is a little more expensive at about three hundred and eighty pounds.


If you prefer, you can sign a contract with a mobile operator and not have to pay full retail price up front. The best current offer on the Motorola is with Orange, and you'll get the phone for no money down on a £20.50 a month calling plan. The best deal on the Samsung right now is with O2, and again you'll get the hand set for no cash up front, but this time it's a cheaper £17 a month calling plan contract.

The Similarities...


Both of these devices are Android touch screen phones with the same 4.3 inch screen dimensions. They both have an 8 MP camera built in, which is the standard resolution for this price range. Both also have the same 8 GB internal storage capacity for keeping your music, photos and other data on your device.

The Motorola RAZR i...


Although the Motorola RAZR i is a cheaper model, it does have some great advantages over the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. The RAZR has a better processor. It runs a 2000 MHz model, as opposed to the 1700 MHz processor on the Samsung, so the Motorola is faster, more powerful and more responsive too.


The RAZR also gets a better battery life. It gets around seventy per cent more talk time per battery charge cycle than the Samsung gets, averaging around twenty hours of active use versus just twelve hours for the Galaxy. This results in you having to charge your phone a lot less often, which is highly convenient.


Finally, though both phones have the same size screen, the Motorola is the smaller device. It's about ten per cent smaller than the Galaxy and around ten per cent thinner too, so it's just that much more portable and easier to carry around in your pocket.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini...


The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is a 4G capable device, meaning that you'll get faster mobile internet speeds, though you will need a specific 4G data plan from your operator to take advantage of this. It's also a little lighter than the Motorola, weighing in at 107 grams versus the 126 gram RAZR, which may make it more comfortable to carry.


The Galaxy also has better Bluetooth support, running the 4.0 version of Bluetooth rather than the much older 2.1 version on the Motorola. This means that you'll get faster data transfer and that your phone will use less power when connecting.

Which is Better?


These two devices are actually quite similar, and they're both good buys. However, if we have to choose one, we'll go for the Motorola RAZR i with its faster processor and better battery life.

Author's Profile

Sam Jones is an expert on mobile phone comparison. He finds all the information he needs from switching sites like uSwitch.


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