The Sony Xperia SP White on Orange

Sony have certainly risen to the challenge recently when it comes to releasing a phone with top tier specs and a mid-range pricepoint - an impressive feat by any stretch of the imagination, and the Sony Xperia SP on Orange does just that!

The 4.6" disply matches the premium Samsung Galaxy S3 in terms of its sharp resolution - and is even an operating system ahead, running on Google's latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. You'll find navigation on this handset particularly smooth and responsive, since it packs in a full 1.7GHz of dual core processing power. Sony have even incorporated the same technology that powers their famous TV sets, with a Mobile Bravia 2 Engine, meaning streaming video content is nothing but a pleasure.

Design-wise, the Xperia SP sports the slim, iconic look that the Xperia range is known for, giving it a premium appearance and a comfortably ergonomic feel in the hand. It certainly makes for a great user experience too, both in terms of speedy connectivity - yes, it's 4G ready and NFC enabled! - but also in terms of Sony's unobtrusive overlay to the Android system.

But the neat tricks don't end there. The Xperia SP on Orange also has a subtle LED light strip built into the bottom of the phone, which glows different colours depending on the image or window you have open on the screen, or even on the notifications you receive, similar to that of its predecessors, the Xperias P and U. The 8 megapixel camera is more than capable of snapping some top photos, even before you explore Sony's photo editing software - and what's even better is the microSD slot that extends your storage up to 32 GB for all your photos, not to mention for keeping your favourite playlists handy on the go.

Really, this stylish little handset has just as much punch as many of the premium models it's up against. Gems like the Orange Sony Xperia SP at a mid-range price-point are definitely worth snapping up!