LG Optimus One vs HTC Wildfire S
If you're in the market for a new smartphone then good news is at hand, you no longer have to sacrifice functionality for price! Enhancements in technology, improved manufacturing methods and advances in research and development mean that larger manufacturers are able to produce devices which will stand up to the rigorous demands of a smartphone savvy public without costing a wallet-busting amount. Two such devices are LG's Optimus One (P500) and HTC's updated Wildfire S, and we thought a little head-to-head might be in order to test the fortitude of these two budget conscious Android devices.
Display - In terms of screen size and quality there is very little to separate these two smartphones. Both offer 3.2-inch TFT displays that are a way short of the top-end of the market but quietly impressive nonetheless. Both are responsive and you could quite happily sit and watch your favourite videos on the hoof without losing too much quality.
Winner - Draw
Internals - HTC's Wildfire S runs on a Qualcomm chipset with the CPU clocked to 600MHz and also features 512MB RAM & ROM, and the overall effect on the device is an impressive one. There's little in the way of stutter when transitioning between home-screens and no discernible lag opening or closing applications. Similarly the LG Optimus One gives a good account of itself, thanks to its 600MHz ARM 11 processor and 512MB RAM, but where the Optimus One excels is in graphical performance, and this is down to the inclusion of a dedicated graphics processing unit (GPU), so if you're looking to game you should look to the Optimus One.
Winner - LG Optimus One
Imaging - HTC's Wildfire S borrows heavily from its predecessor in this category, and that's no bad thing with the included 5-megapixel camera offering a rewarding experience for this price point and the added LED flash and autofocus don't hinder matters either! LG's Optimus One doesn't cater as well for photographers, though its 3-megapixel camera with face/ smile detection and beauty shot will no doubt keep casual snappers happy.
Winner - HTC Wildfire S
Build Quality - HTC have a good reputation for building quality smartphones and this is evident in the Wildfire S. The device feels very premium and sits nicely in the hand without feeling too light or heavy. The Optimus One is also a well constructed device though, offering nice balance and comfortable single hand operation. You won't find either device groaning or creaking under pressure either, they both feel pretty robust.
Winner - Draw
Media - If you're looking for a device to surf the web, watch videos on or check out your favourite tunes you could do far worse than the LG Optimus One. It offers out of the box support for DivX and XviD and sports the usual decent Android music player and browser that we've come to know and love. The Wildfire S delivers in the media stakes too, with its new chipset dealing with the task of rendering video well though you'll have to add your own third-party media player if you want to watch encoded DivX or XviD files.
Winner - LG Optimus One
LG's Optimus One (P500) is a stunning handset for the price and will no doubt become even better when it receives the update to Android 2.3 later in the year, the hardware is sound and the price is oh so right! Don't get us wrong, the HTC Wildfire S is a great budget device but at a slightly higher price-point than the Optimus One you get more for your money with the LG. But if you're looking for something a little newer and you're drawn by the promise of HTC's brilliant custom Sense UI, you'll no doubt love the Wildfire S!