Two of the most recent arrivals for the smartphone market in India are the Sony Xperia M2 Dual and the HTC Desire 816. Both of these are similarly priced Dual SIM Android smartphones with plenty to offer, so if you’re trying to choose between them you might like to check out our Sony Xperia M2 Dual vs. HTC Desire 816 India showdown.

These phones are also available for other regions but we’ve concentrated on India as we have recently given price and launch details for both handsets in the country. We’ve written many articles already on both phones so do check them out for more information, for the Xperia M2 Dual here, or for the Desire 816 here. Now we’ll compare the key specs and more.

Processors
The Xperia M2 Dual has a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor and Adreno 305 graphics. The Desire 816 has a 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor and also Adreno 305 GPU.

Display
The Xperia M2 Dual has a 4.8-inch display with resolution of 960 x 540 and 229 ppi while the Desire 816 has a 5.5-inch Super LCD2 display with resolution of 1280 x 720 and 267 pi.

RAM and Storage
There’s 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD to 32GB via microSD for the Xperia M2 Dual. The Desire 816 has 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, this time expandable to 128GB.

Camera Set-up
The Xperia M2 Dual has an 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash, and 1080p video capture with a VGA front-facing camera. The Desire 816 has a 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash and 1080p video capture as well as a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

Battery
There’s a 2300 mAh battery for the Xperia M2 Dual and a 2600 mAh battery for the Desire 816.

Connectivity
Both phones feature 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GRPS, EDGE and microUSB 2.0.

Operating System
The Xperia M2 Dual runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean while the Desire 816 also runs Android but this time skinned with the HTC Sense 5.5 UI.

Dimensions and Weight
The Xperia M2 Dual measures 139.7mm x 71.1mm x 8.6mm and weighs 148g. The Desire 816 measures 156.6mm x 78.7mm x 8mm and weighs 165g.

Price
At the official launch of the Xperia M2 Dual for India the price was given as Rs. 21,990. The Desire 816 was recently priced for India at Rs. 23,990, although prices of both will vary by retailer.

Just by glancing through these specs its clear to see that the HTC Desire 816 has plenty of advantages over the Sony Xperia M2 Dual. These include a larger battery, higher-resolution display, more powerful processor, better camera capabilities, more RAM, and storage that can be expanded right up to 128GB.

However, it is the more expensive of the two and some people may prefer the smaller form factor of the Xperia M2 Dual and its lighter weight. This doesn’t compare all of the features of the phones or designs, but on specs alone it may well be worth paying a bit more for the HTC handset. Would you choose the Sony Xperia M2 Dual or the HTC Desire 816?