If you’re in the market for a new smartphone you may be wondering if the LG Spectrum, released in the US yesterday on Verizon could be the right choice for you. This is a very decent handset but you may also have heard of another smartphone heading for a global release, the Sony Xperia S. Today we’re taking a look at the Sony Xperia S vs. the LG Spectrum and comparing what they have to offer.

As we’ve said the LG Spectrum is out right now so if you need a smartphone pronto then this is a good option. The Sony Xperia S is due for worldwide shipping in Q1 but of course there’s no way of knowing just yet which carrier/s it will be on in the States or indeed when it will arrive. The Samsung Galaxy S II for example hit the UK quite some time before it was launched stateside. There are some similarities between these two handsets but they also have different things to offer that may determine your choice and we’ll highlight a few of the key specs and features here.

Starting with operating systems then both are equal as they will both release running Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, the only real letdown for either handset. Most would have hoped for the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS but the LG Spectrum will be receiving the update at some point while for the Xperia S Sony says the ICS update will arrive in Q2. It’s another draw for the processors too as the Xperia S and Spectrum will both be released with 1.5 GHz dual-core processors.

Looking at the displays the Xperia S will have a 4.3-inch HD display and the LG Spectrum a 4.5-inch HD display and both handets will have 1GB of RAM. The Xperia S will have 16 or 32GB storage while the Spectrum has 16GB. Many people now use their smartphones as cameras and both of these are impressively equipped. The Xperia S has a whopping 12-megapixel rear camera with Sony Exmor R backlit sensor and 1080p HD video capture. The front-facing shooter is 1.3-megapixels with 720p video recording. The Spectrum has an 8-megapixel rear camera with auto focus, LED flash and 1080p HD video capture and a 1.3-megapixel front-facer for video chat.

A real bonus for the LG Spectrum is that it has 4G LTE connectivity for the Verizon network. That may come for the US variant of the Sony Xperia S but at this stage is unconfirmed. If you’re an enthusiastic gamer though then you may prefer to wait for the Xperia S as this will be PlayStation certified providing an excellent gaming experience and PlayStation Store access. As you can see then, these smartphones have plenty to impress and if you’re into gaming or photography on your phone then a wait for the Xperia S might appeal to you. However if you’re after a very decent all-round performer with 4G LTE then the Spectrum could be your choice, especially with a price of $199 on a new two-year contract, very reasonable for a phone with LTE connectivity. No price has been released in the U.S. yet for the Xperia S.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on the Xperia S and the Spectrum. Would the unknown release date of the Xperia S in the U.S. put you off waiting? Alternatively maybe you already decided that the LG Spectrum was an excellent choice?

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