We and our partners use cookies to give you the best online experience, including to personalise advertising and content. Data about your interaction with this site and the ads shown to you may be shared with companies involved in the delivery and/or personalisation of ads on this site and elsewhere online.

Nokia Lumia 521 vs Sony Xperia SP

2.52 in
4.88 in
Nokia Lumia 521 Mobile Phone
Nokia Lumia 521
2.64 in
5.14 in
Sony Xperia SP Mobile Phone
Sony Xperia SP
Available colors
Editiorial reviews
8
8 editorial reviews
Check out our review of the Nokia Lumia 521; one of the most popular Windows Phone 8 smartphones of the year.Read more
Popular Hardware and Tech site AnandTech has reviewed the Nokia Lumia 521, available exclusively on T-Mobile in the US .Their view reinforces just how good a deal the handset is, and how effective the Windows Phone OS can be on low-end handsets.Read more
The Nokia Lumia 521 for T-Mobile is a good smartphone for a great price, as long as you don't mind Windows Phone's lack of apps.Read more
Read editorial reviews
7
4.3 out of 5
5 user ratings
5 stars
20 %
4 stars
80 %
3 stars
0 %
2 stars
0 %
1 stars
0 %
Read editorial reviews
User rating
39
3.9 out of 5
39 user ratings
5 stars
15 %
4 stars
58 %
3 stars
23 %
2 stars
2 %
1 stars
0 %
38
4.2 out of 5
38 user ratings
5 stars
42 %
4 stars
36 %
3 stars
21 %
2 stars
0 %
1 stars
0 %

Full Comparison

Hardware

Nokia Lumia 521Nokia Lumia 521
Sony Xperia SPSony Xperia SP
Operating systemWindows Phone 8Android 4.1
CPU clock speed1.4 GHz1.7 GHz
CPU coresDual-coreDual-core
CPU modelQualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8227Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro MSM8960T
GPU modelQualcomm Adreno 305Qualcomm Adreno 320
RAM memory512 MB1 GB

Display

Nokia Lumia 521Nokia Lumia 521
Sony Xperia SPSony Xperia SP
Screen size4.0 in4.6 in
Number of colors16.7M16.7M
Panel typeLCDLCD
Resolution800 x 480 px1280 x 720 px
TechnologyIPS LCDTN TFT
Pixel density235.0 ppi319.0 ppi
Multi touchyesyes

Rear camera

Nokia Lumia 521Nokia Lumia 521
Sony Xperia SPSony Xperia SP
Primary sensor resolution5.0 Mpx8.0 Mpx
Primary lens aperture2.4 f2.4 f
Highest video resolution1280 x 720 px1920 x 1080 px
Autofocusyesyes
Geo-taggingyesyes
Panoramayesyes
Touch focusyesyes

Storage

Nokia Lumia 521Nokia Lumia 521
Sony Xperia SPSony Xperia SP
Memory card readeryesyes
Maximum card storage64GB32GB
Types of memory card supportedmicroSDmicroSD

Design

Nokia Lumia 521Nokia Lumia 521
Sony Xperia SPSony Xperia SP
Colour of productWhite
  • Black
  • Red
  • White

Dimensions

Nokia Lumia 521Nokia Lumia 521
Sony Xperia SPSony Xperia SP
Height4.88 in5.14 in
Width2.52 in2.64 in
Depth0.39 in0.39 in
Weight4.37 oz5.47 oz

Sensors

Nokia Lumia 521Nokia Lumia 521
Sony Xperia SPSony Xperia SP
Accelerometeryesyes
Proximityyesyes
Ambient light sensoryesyes

Connectivity

Nokia Lumia 521Nokia Lumia 521
Sony Xperia SPSony Xperia SP
Dual sim supportnono
Sim card sizeMicro-SIMMicro-SIM
Bluetoothyesyes
Bluetooth version3.0 HS4.0
Headphone connection3.5 mm3.5 mm

Cellular

Nokia Lumia 521Nokia Lumia 521
Sony Xperia SPSony Xperia SP
Wireless network (Wi-Fi)yesyes
Data transmissionHSPA+HSPA+
Navigation systemGPSGLONASS
2G GSMyesyes
GSM frequencies
  • 850 MHz
  • 900 MHz
  • 1800 MHz
  • 1900 MHz
  • 850 MHz
  • 900 MHz
  • 1800 MHz
  • 1900 MHz
UMTS frequences
  • 850 MHz
  • 1700 MHz
  • 1900 MHz
  • 2100 MHz
  • 850 MHz
  • 900 MHz
  • 1700 MHz
  • 1900 MHz
  • 2100 MHz
4G LTEyesyes

Battery

Nokia Lumia 521Nokia Lumia 521
Sony Xperia SPSony Xperia SP
Battery typeLithium ionLithium ion
Battery capacity1430.0 mAh2370.0 mAh
Standby time400.0 h734.0 h
Talk time9.0 h19.0 h

Pros & Cons

Pros
      Cons

          Often compared with Nokia Lumia 521