We got the Sony Xperia ZL to unbox this week and we’re curious how it fares compared to the Xperia Z which we reviewed earlier. Check out our unboxing video and first impressions of the Xperia ZL after the break.
If you’re interested with our full review of the Xperia Z, you can head on and read them here. Aside from some differences in the build and design, the rest are basically just the same as with the Xperia ZL.
The Xperia ZL looks pretty much like the previous Xperia handsets we’ve tested and reviewed — from the Xperia S, to the Xperia P and the Acro S; but with a display size of 5 inches, it’s the biggest of all the handsets Sony has ever made (along with the Z).
At 9.8mm on the side, the device already feels a bit chunky when held in one hand and the shape slightly tapers towards the edges. It is also somewhat heavy at 151 grams.
The handset has that rugged feel to it — probably because of that rough, jagged texture of the plastic back side and the huge monolithic slab of tempered glass at the front. The large power button is prominently positioned on the left side along with the dedicated physical camera shutter button (something that is sorely lacking in the Xperia Z).
There’s a removable cap at the back which is a small compartment for the micro-SIM and microSD slot. The 13-megapixel camera at the back is also more prominent and sits smack right at the center along with the LED flash and the speakers.
The Xperia ZL has one of the most impressive hardware specs of any handset that’s been launched in the Philippines. Though we’re not too excited with the TFT display, a full HD 1080p screen does a lot of wonders for display quality on media playback.
Sony Xperia ZL specs:
5-inch full HD TFT display @ 1920×1080, 443ppi
Sony Mobile Bravia Engine II
Qualcomm MDM9215M Snapdragon S4 Krait 1.5GHz quad-core
Adreno 320 Graphics
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD card
DC-HSDPA 42Mbps, LTE 100Mbps
13.1MP rear autofocus camera, LED flash
1080p video recording @ 30fps
2.2MP front-facing camera, 1080p video
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
GPS w/ aGPS support, GLONASS
Li-Ion 2370mAh battery
Android 4.1.2 Jellybean
Dimension: 131.6 x 69.3 x 9.8 mm
Weight: 151g
We still think the slim and sexy design of the Xperia Z trumps the half-polycarbonate build of the Xperia Z. Nevertheless, we’ll have to get this thru our usual review process and see how it goes. Full review of the Xperia ZL to follow.
Suggested retail price of the Xperia ZL is Php29,990USD 511INR 43,324EUR 487CNY 3,722 but street price can go down as affordable as Php24,390USD 416INR 35,234EUR 396CNY 3,027 (see listing at Widget City here.)
YugaTech.com is the largest and longest-running technology site in the Philippines. Originally established in October 2002, the site was transformed into a full-fledged technology platform in 2005.
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Phillip says:
Nice! I really like the design, especially the thin bezels! P25k I think is great for this phone, but will wait til it reaches around 20k :)
LG still the Best says:
THE LAST picture looks like a COPY OF LG Optimus G design.
NAPANSIN KO LANG PO PAG PINAGSAMA ANG DESIGN NG X PERIA Z AT XPERIA ZL MUKHANG KOPYA SIYA NG OPTIMUS G.
ANG ALAM KO NAUNA NG ALMOST 4 MOTHS ANG LG Optimys G.
jhepoyski says:
Hope na ma offer to sa globe. lol
Cedric Paul Alberto says:
I think Yuga was a bit sleepy writing this unboxing article. hehe
Abe Olandres says:
haha you are right! wrote this at 4AM! editing it now. ;)
dan_md says:
Yuga, it would have been nice if you could mention the accompanying accessories, benchmarks and side by side comparison with the Sony Xperia Z. According to early hands-on of the ZL, one of its advantages over the Xperia Z is a better display (viewing angles?) which we may need to confirm.
Buyers need to know if they should buy the thin and tall, all weather Z w/ poor viewing angles or the thick but compact ZL sans the all weather talent but blessed w/ a better display and a dedicated camera button.
Abe Olandres says:
Yes, that will be discussed in the full review. As per our review of the Xperia Z, the TFT screen still has really good viewing angles.
Abu ZalZal says:
TFTs aren’t as good as IPS or AMOLEds, My balikbayan insan has one and compared it to my Note 2, anlayo ng difference kahit 720p lang yung akin…Maganda na “sana” and Xperia Z(L) yun lang typical SONY, laging merong huge downside ang kanilang flagship models….
Abe Olandres says:
I compared viewing angles to other IPS LCD panels and they’re very close. What the Xperia Z/ZL lacks is brightness levels. For a display of 1080p, it is hard for LED to light up all pixels compared to 720p screens. As such, 1080p displays might only max at 300nits while other 720p displays can go as high as 470nits.
I think the nits rating is what you noticed between the Z and the Note 2.
red says:
salute to sir. yuga
over reacting kasi mga tao sa viewing angle
wala namang tangang tao gagamit ng 100% brightness all the time.
Ron says:
I actually prefer this to Xperia Z.
The flaps (for waterproofing) are the most annoying little things I’ve encountered on a water-resistant phone. I prefer the ruggedness of ZL compared to Z’s sleek gorgeous glass back. I don’t care about the screen’s viewing angles because I look at my phone like a normal person does, on the front. This is a beefy-specced phone, and who doesn’t like that? Also, the heavier, the better.
dan_md says:
Sir Yuga, Don’t forget to include the infrared blaster (remote) feature of the ZL in your review. Thanks!
SONY COPYCAT says:
Xperia z & zl copied lg optimus g AT&T
http://bgr.com/gallery/lg-optimus-g-review/bgr-lg-optimus-g-4/
aze says:
its ugly compared to z.
weryou@ says:
Nice specs though it would be quite a steal if it’s priced below 25k.
jarnescalona says:
sir, tanong ko lang po yung about sa front camera. panu po yung orientation ng phone using the front cam kapag nagtetake ng pic? landscape lang po? kumusta naman po yung front cam kapag portrait ung pagtetake? salamat. medyo curious lang po. same position nung sa nokia n9. i just don’t see the essence of putting it in the bottom part xDD