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Sony Xperia ZL Review and Price
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
Exmor RS for mobile – the world’s first image sensor with HDR video for smartphones
HDR for photos and videos captures natural colours in any light. HDR (High Dynamic Range) is an imaging technology used to capture clear photos against strong backlight. With HDR, the camera captures the same image at different exposure levels and layers them to create one optimised photo.
Xperia ZL introduces HDR to video, so that you can film even in high contrast situations, like in front of a window or with the sun behind your subject.
As you also could expect, the camera on the Xperia ZL offers a top-notch experience. Sony has implemented some great features in the camera software, making it pretty fantastic. Sony knows a thing or two about cameras, given its Cybershot line of digital shooters, and that shines through within the Xperia ZL.
The 13 megapixel camera on the ZL takes advantage of Sonys next-gen Exmor RS sensor, which produces high quality photos across the board. Funny enough, the viewfinder doesnt do that great of a job showing the subject in low-light situations, but a visit to the gallery with show you a very clear image. Its pretty impressive. Likely the only other slight issue with the camera is that is can be a bit slow at times, but that will likely be remedied with an update.
The camera software provides a wealth of features, allowing you to do just about anything youd want on a smartphone camera and then some.
One of the features I enjoyed the most on the camera was the Superior Auto feature, which automatically changes the focus mode depending on the subject, proximity, or movement. If youre very close to the subject, the camera will automatically adjust to Macro mode. If youre catching a moving object, it will switch to action mode. Many phones have these features, but you manually need to change them, so its pretty cool to see that the Xperia ZL can do this on the fly.
Sony Xperia ZL see prices in your country
Look Sony Experia ZL Specifications and Features
Sony Xperia ZL Review and Price
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
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
HDR for photos and videos captures natural colours in any light. HDR (High Dynamic Range) is an imaging technology used to capture clear photos against strong backlight. With HDR, the camera captures the same image at different exposure levels and layers them to create one optimised photo.
Xperia ZL introduces HDR to video, so that you can film even in high contrast situations, like in front of a window or with the sun behind your subject.
As you also could expect, the camera on the Xperia ZL offers a top-notch experience. Sony has implemented some great features in the camera software, making it pretty fantastic. Sony knows a thing or two about cameras, given its Cybershot line of digital shooters, and that shines through within the Xperia ZL.
The 13 megapixel camera on the ZL takes advantage of Sonys next-gen Exmor RS sensor, which produces high quality photos across the board. Funny enough, the viewfinder doesnt do that great of a job showing the subject in low-light situations, but a visit to the gallery with show you a very clear image. Its pretty impressive. Likely the only other slight issue with the camera is that is can be a bit slow at times, but that will likely be remedied with an update.
The camera software provides a wealth of features, allowing you to do just about anything youd want on a smartphone camera and then some.
One of the features I enjoyed the most on the camera was the Superior Auto feature, which automatically changes the focus mode depending on the subject, proximity, or movement. If youre very close to the subject, the camera will automatically adjust to Macro mode. If youre catching a moving object, it will switch to action mode. Many phones have these features, but you manually need to change them, so its pretty cool to see that the Xperia ZL can do this on the fly.
Sony Xperia ZL see prices in your country
Look Sony Experia ZL Specifications and Features
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