Manual Guide

Sony Xperia ZL Review
Already sold on Sony’s latest Xperia Z handset? Not so fast. The Xperia Z isn’t the only great device that Sony announced at CES this year. Announced alongside the Z was the ZL, and it is very much its own beast of a phone.

With an equally robust feature set as the Z, the Xperia ZL is quite the charmer. It may lack the solid glass back the Xperia Z rocks, but it has quite a few tricks up its sleeve as well. That said, is the Xperia Z still the shining star in Sony’s lineup, or is the ZL up to snuff with its brother? In this review, we’ll see if the Xperia ZL has what it takes to be the next phone in your pocket.


DESIGN
Sony certainly used its current design language in crafting the dark and thin black slab that is the Xperia ZL. The ZLs clean lines, sleek rectangular shape, and glossy edges would fit right in if set next to the companys HDTVs and home theater equipment.

If youre expecting a luxurious build quality equal to that of the Xperia Z, you wont find it in the ZL. Unlike the Z, the Xperia ZL doesnt have a water- and dust-resistant chassis. The phone also has a more mundane plastic back and not the premium glass material the Xperia Z sports. Still, the ZLs textured back cover is pleasing to the touch, repels fingerprints, and offers a sure grip.

SOFTWARE
Running on Android 4.1.2, the Xperia ZL rocks one of the latest versions of the OS, and given that Sony is rather transparent when it comes to updating its handsets, youll likely be kept up to date as to when the ZL will be the next OS bump.

The software experience on the ZL, like the Z, is very unique. The UI is filled with small, enjoyable animations that arent in your face. Theres also a healthy amount of Sony-developed applications that will provide you with the full Xperia experience, like Walkman, Sony Select, Sociallife, Wisepilot for Xperia, Xperia Link, Remote Control, and much more. Sony also offers up an application called Update Center that allows you to update the Sony applications, as well as system updates.

Sony also provides a decent selection of widgets to adorn your ZLs home screen with. The photo gallery widget allows you to scroll through all of your photos with a nice 3D effect -- a nod to Timescape.
The software on the ZL also offers up eight different themes for your homescreen, with options like Silk, Amethyst, Sapphire, and Emerald. Once youve selected your theme, the notification LED will also change to the same color, which is a nice touch.

Sony offers up a pretty great photo gallery experience on the ZL. The application is divided into two tabs: Pictures and Albums. In the Pictures section, photos are divided by months, and you can easily pinch to zoom to get a better view of the photos without needing select a specific photo. When tapping on the Albums section, you can choose from Facebook, Picasa, and Globe, which will show you geo-tagged photos in a nifty 3D globe. You can also view photos from media servers on your home network.

CAMERA