Feature Articles

HTC Butterfly and Sony Xperia Z Telco Price Plan Comparisons

By Sidney Wong - 2 Mar 2013

Contract Price Comparison

5-Inch Smartphones Price Plan Comparison 

5-inch smartphones are the next big thing in the mobile space this year. If you are planning to get the a 5-inch smartphone, the HTC Butterfly and Sony Xperia Z are the two available options today. Here's a quick look at the specs of both phones and current contract prices across all three telcos for your easy reference: - 

Comparing the HTC Butterfly against the Sony Xperia Z
  HTC Butterfly Sony Xperia Z
  HTC Butterfly Sony Xperia Z
Operating system
  • Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense 4+
  • Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Processor
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core 1.5GHz
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro 1.5GHz Quad-core
Built-in Memory
  • 2GB RAM
  • 2GB RAM
Display
  • 5-inch / 1920 x 1080 resolution / Super LCD 3 with Gorilla Glass 2
  • 5-inch / TFT LCD / Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (441ppi) / 16M colors
Camera
  • 8 Megapixels / Autofocus with HTC ImageChip, f/2.0 aperture, 28mm lens with BSI sensor
  • Secondary: 2.1 Megapixels
  • Rear: 13.1MP / Autofocus / LED flash
  • Front: 2MP
  • 1080p recording @ 30fps
Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.0 with aptX enabled, DLNA, Micro-USB 2.0, 3.5mm stereo audio jack
  • Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, DLNA, NFC, micro-USB 2.0 (MHL), 3.5mm headphone jack
Storage Type
  • 16GB with free 25GB Dropbox storage for two years
  • microSD (Up to 32GB)
  • 16GB internal storage
  • microSD card (up to 64GB)
Battery
  • 2,020mAh
  • 2,330mAh
Dimensions
  • 143 x 70.5 x 9.08mm
  • 139 x 71 x 7.9mm
Weight
  • 140g
  • 146g

1. Do note that the contract pricing is based on this week's promo which is valid from 2nd to 6th March 2013. Prices may change thereafter.

2. Other miscellaneous costs and promotions such as early re-contract fees, SIM card charges and registration fees are not included in this table.

3. The HTC Butterfly is not available at SingTel Shops. However, some authorized SingTel retailers are selling the phone.

 

Telco Basic Plans Comparison
 

Data Plan M1 SingTel StarHub
Name ValueSurf+ Flexi Lite  Smartsurf Lite
Monthly Subscription $39 $39.90 $38
Local Outgoing Mins 100 / 120 100 100
Local SMS 600 800 800
Local Data Bundle 2GB 2GB 2GB
Phone Contract Prices
HTC Butterfly $498 N.A $398
Sony Xperia Z $398 $388 $398

 

Telco Mid-Tier Plans Comparison
 

Data Plan M1 SingTel StarHub
Name LiteSurf+ Flexi Value SmartSurf Value
Monthly Subscription $59 $59.90 $58
Local Outgoing Mins 300 200 300
Local SMS 800 900 900
Local Data Bundle 3GB 3GB 4GB
Phone Contract Prices
HTC Butterfly $398 N.A $268
Sony Xperia Z $268 $218 $218

 

Telco High-Tier Plans Comparison
 

Data Plan M1 SingTel StarHub
Name ExtremeSurf+ Flexi Plus SmartSurf Premium
Monthly Subscription $98 $99.90 $98
Local Outgoing Mins 700 500 700
Local SMS 1,000 1,000 1,000
Local Data Bundle 5GB 4GB 6GB
Phone Contract Prices
HTC Butterfly $268 N.A $198
Sony Xperia Z $168 $98 $148

   

Telco Premium Plans Comparison
 

Data Plan M1 SingTel StarHub
Name MaxSurf+ Flexi Premium SmartSurf Elite
Monthly Subscription $198 $205 $205
Local Outgoing Mins Unlimited 2,000 2,000
Local SMS 2,000 2,500 2,500
Local Data Bundle 12GB 12GB 12GB
Phone Contract Prices
HTC Butterfly $268 N.A $198
Sony Xperia Z $168 $98 $148

 

Price Comparison Analysis

If you are planning to purchase the HTC Butterfly, StarHub offers the best deals from the basic to high-tier price plans over a two-year contract. However, M1 turns the table in the premium plan category as it offers a lower monthly subscription over 24 months ($168 savings), hence outweighing the extra $70 you have to fork out when signing up for the phone.

As for the Sony Xperia Z, you can get it from StarHub in the basic and mid-tier price plans while SingTel offers the better deal in the high-tier plans. However, the tide changes in the premium price plan where M1 offers a better deal over a two-year contract. 

 

Our Inputs 

If the display and viewing experience are your top concerns, the HTC Butterfly is our recommended choice as it has the best mobile screen in the market. The Sony Xperia Z has a great display too, but the Butterfly offers better color saturation and viewing angles. 

Both phones have great design qualities; the HTC Butterfly has a slightly tapered back that offers better handling while the Sony Xperia Z offers a classy design with its two glass panels on the front and back.

We prefer the Power button placement on the Xperia Z but it ultimately boils down to individual preferences. In addition, the Xperia Z boasts water and dust resistance features, which makes it a more hardy phone than the Butterfly.

Planning to jump on the 4G LTE bandwagon? The HTC Butterfly will be out of your consideration as it does not support 4G LTE. However, the Xperia Z suffers from below average battery life and 4G LTE connection is more than likely to affect it further. Again, we feel that it depends on how each individual uses the phone so battery performance can differ.  


For more information on the different phones, hit the links below to the respective reviews and video: 

 

Join HWZ's Telegram channel here and catch all the latest tech news!
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.