First Impressions of Sony's Xperia ZL Android smartphone

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The Sony Xperia ZL Android smartphone is Sony's newest flagship device and also one of the most well-rounded and dynamic smartphones we've seen in the market this year. A marked improvement over past models from Sony, the Xperia ZL gives users all the features they desire from a 5-inch Android device plus a slew of accessories.

Sony has jumped head first into the spec wars going on with Android flagship smartphones today. The Xperia ZL brings a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 processor clocked at 1.5GHz, which is paired with an Adreno 320 GPU graphics chip and bolstered by a generous 2GB of RAM. The Xperia ZL will run Android's Jelly Bean OS.

The display is the killer feature with 1920x1080 pixels and 443ppi pixel per inch density. Stunning for HD video playback and also for games.

Featuring a 13-megapixel rear facing camera with Exmor technology that is also capable of 1080p video capture, and a 2-megapixel unit, users will have one of the best smartphone cameras in the market today.

The Xperia ZL is remarkably robust yet light with 151 grams and measuring 9.8 mm thin dimensions. Sony has put out a series of NFC accessories including speakers, headphones and earphones that pair with a simple touch.

I liked that Sony has gone for a minimalist yet functional rectangular design. This smartphone feels well balanced and the fit and finish is above the norm for a device of this size. It feels good in the hand although users need to consider that this is a 5-inch phone which is the upper limit for comfortable one-handed use.

One of the most premium smartphones we've seen from Sony, the Xperia ZL is said to cost $624.99 without contract from Rogers or $124.99 with a three-year contract. It is coming in April from Bell, Mobilicity, MTS, Rogers, Videotron and WIND Mobile.