Battle of the Twins: T-Mobile Vivacity v Orange San Francisco II

T-Mobile Vivacity deals

If you're looking for a budget Android smart phone then you really can't go wrong with either the T-Mobile Vivacity or the Orange San Francisco II. However making a case for one over the other is going to be tricky because they are practically twins. Not identical twins, because in appearance they are actually quite different. Their make up, however, is practically identical.

Similarities

You think we're joking? How about these for similarities:

• Screen: 3.5 in., resolution of 800 x 480 pixels

This is not bad for a budget Android, it provides for crisp pictures and vivid colours. The screen is the same size as the iPhone's, although of course the resolution is not as good.

• Processing power: 800MHz CPU, 512MB RAM.

Again, for a budget Android phone this is not bad at all. As long as you don't try to play 3D games or do too many tasks at the same time, the operation is going to be as smooth as you like.

• Camera: 5 megapixel (rear) + front facing camera for video calls.

Both devices have a 5 megapixel camera which, again, is fine for a budget phone. It's not going to replace a compact camera but it's okay for a phone.

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  Orange San Francisco II contract deals

  Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Both the T-Mobile Vivacity and Orange San Francisco II run the latest version of Android Gingerbread. While this is far from the latest version of Android (Ice Cream Sandwich has recently been surpassed by Jelly Bean) for the processing power of the phone it's probably the best one you could have anyway. You're not going to be able to make use of the best features of the latest Android outings without a beefier processor. For instance the Samsung Galaxy S III now has a quad-core processor and is nearly twice as powerful at 1.4GHz, and if you're willing to spend around £400 more on a phone then it's definitely worth checking it out. But if you're looking for good phone deals on a budget android then the Gingerbread is plenty capable and it's a good fit.

To compare the full specs of both mobile phones, here are the Orange San Francisco II specs and T-Mobile Vivacity specs.

Okay, so those are the main similarities between the Vivacity and the San Francisco II – they're what make both phones well worth considering if you're looking for a low-priced Android smart phone. So, how should you choose between them?

Differences

• Design: iPhone (Vivacity) V Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo (San Francisco II)

The design of neither phone is entirely original, they are both quite obviously based on the design of other phones. The Vivacity has the straight edged, cuboid look with metallic finish of the iPhone while the San Francisco II has the sleek and shiny design of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo.

When choosing between the two phones then, it's probably best to go with which one you like the look of the more. This might be the first and last time that we ever advise choosing a phone on the basis solely of what it looks like, but when it comes to these two there is really little else to consider.

Having said that, T-Mobile and Orange have adapted the pure Android slightly and you have provided their own bloatware of course. In all honesty though, those differences are not as significant as the aesthetics of the phone.

Summary

It's not often that we will advise judging a phone on the basis of its chassis, but if you like the specs and you like the price, then whether T-Mobile Vivacity monthly contract deals or Orange San Francisco II deals are going to be more attractive will probably largely come down to which one is more physically attractive to you. In terms of what's underneath the skin, they don't compare to the more expensive Android offerings of course but for the price these are a couple of little gems and we're confident you won't be disappointed with either of them.