Sony Xperia ZL Pro Reviews

The Sony Xperia ZL all around is a great Android smartphone that certainly does feature “the best of Sony in a smartphone.” It has a stunningly beautiful 5-inch display, features some powerful internal specs and offers a great camera experience. With that said, there certainly are some things holding back the Xperia ZL from receiving our excellent rating. The location of the ZL’s front-facing camera isn’t ideal and will confuse its users every time they fire it up, the phone’s vibration is way too strong and its battery could have been better. Regardless of those minor annoyances, the Xperia ZL is a great Android smartphone that really does bring all of Sony’s experience into a mobile device.

Bottom line, Sony has made a solid hit with the Xperia ZL. It’s a gorgeous phone that doesn’t seem like if it’s going to break with normal use. It provides a solid user experience from day-to-day use, to the most intense tests we gave it. It also provides a very delightful experience when holding it and using it, proving that you don’t need a huge device to get a 5-inch display. Sadly, Sony didn’t hit this one out of the ballpark. There’s nothing extraordinary about the Xperia ZL. What it does, it does well, but so does the HTC One and so will the Samsung Galaxy S 4. It’s hard to tell you that this device is any better than the other two giants mentioned, but I can confirm there are some lacking features in the display that leave a lot to be desired for its price point. Even if you’re a Sony fan, this device won’t improve your interaction with Sony products, like can happen when you own Apple products. Now, in all fairness, if I were to not compare this phone against anything else, I’ll admit I loved my experience testing it. I feel Sony thought it out well, and if all the buzz surrounding competing devices isn’t a problem to you, I can assure you this device is a very good buy.

The Sony ZL is a good phone, but it is a tough phone to recommend. I wish the hardware were a little bit better, but it's an improvement over Sony's earlier efforts just the same. The dazzling screen certainly impresses, and the ZL was great at connecting to AT&T's network. It’s too bad call quality was a bit miserable and battery life was only average. The real selling point of the ZL is the camera, with which I was very impressed. Not only does the software work well, but the results are excellent. Throw in Sony's solid WalkMan player and good living room apps, and you have a solid entertainment device in the ZL. The ZL's biggest problem, however, is its availability. Cincinnati Bell is the only carrier offering the device with service. That's great if you live in southwestern Ohio. If you want to use the ZL on AT&T or T-Mobile's networks, you'll have to purchase it directly from Sony for the full retail price of $629.99. (That's about the same cost as most unlocked phones these days.) For my money, the GS4 and One offer better hardware and software, but don't do as well with the camera. For many, choosing the ZL may boil down to manufacturer or platform preference.

The Sony Xperia ZL is not as good looking as its glass-clad sibling, or most of the direct rivals for that matter. Nor is it the most powerful device on the market. We're tempted to call the Xperia Z the better part of the pair and forget about it. The most compact FullHD five-incher is the Xperia ZL's defining feature - and the emphasis is on compact. But ... the Xperia ZL is a FullHD five-incher after all, and for Sony having two horses in the flagship race must feel good. Plus, there's always people who like to cheer for the dark horse.

The Sony XPERIA ZL takes what the Sony XPERIA Z was good at – and remains good at – and puts it in a slightly more hand-friendly form factor. If you’d like your handset to have a massive amount of glass, you’ll want the Z. If instead you want a slightly less pretty machine that’s better for an accident here or there, go ZL. Both the Sony XPERIA Z and the Sony XPERIA ZL are available in the United States today, though you’ll not find them attached to any one unique carrier. This unit works with AT&T and T-Mobile microSIM cards: you’ll also not find any Verizon 4G LTE attaching itself to this set. Consider that, but consider this too: here Sony puts forth its greatest effort to date. If you’ve enjoyed Sony smartphones in the past, you’ll certainly have an impressive time here.

The Sony Xperia ZL is almost a great phone. Beautiful screen, attractive design, speedy performance, decent camera. Yet in all of those categories there are a few minor problems that collectively mar the overall experience. Any one of them is overlookable, but are they all? And then there’s the price. It’s not cheap. The Xperia XL is only available unlocked for most (lucky Cincinnatians get a subsidized choice) it costs a hefty $630 to own. That’s in line with other unlocked handsets but is still a lot to pay for a device with so many little issues. Subsidized, the choice is easier to make. Still, if you’re in the market for an unlocked phone, this is a great choice.

To answer the most obvious question: if a mysterious benefactor showed us both the Xperia Z and ZL while letting us keep only one, we'd choose the ZL. The smarter ergonomics are just too valuable to ignore, as they produce a 5-inch phone without the penalties in size or comfort that sometimes come with supersize dimensions. Waterproofing isn't all that vital, either. While the Z would be our choice if we regularly lounged by the pool, we have a hunch that the plastic-backed ZL is more likely to stay good-looking throughout its lifetime. Glass isn't very stylish when it's shattered, after all. The ZL is intriguing for other reasons as well. If you've ever wished that huge screens and one-handed use weren't so frequently seen as mutually exclusive concepts, Sony has your back. The 13-megapixel camera is a solid performer, and the processor is still quick on its feet. Sony's UI represents one of the more considered Android implementations we've seen, provided you're willing to forgive the hard sell on its ecosystem.

Should you run out and buy an Xperia ZL? In a word, no. There's nothing expressly wrong with it: I rather like the design, which feels modern, if a bit run-of-the-mill. It performs well, serves up plenty of battery life for average use cases, and even has a nice camera once you get used to its limitations (or aren't especially picky). But there are just too many great options out there, and while the Xperia ZL won't disappoint, your money will be better spent elsewhere.

The Sony Xperia ZL is not a big surprise - another high-end smartphone from Sony with a 5-inch Full-HD display. The display panel is very bright and has good characteristics, although the black level and the narrow viewing angles stand out as negative aspects. Despite perhaps being visually less appealing than with the Xperia Z the easily accessible ports could be a big advantage during daily use, but unfortunately this also means that the Xperia ZL it is not dust or water proof. The application and graphics performance of the somewhat aged Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC with and integrated Adreno 320 GPU is able to impress, and control via the capacitive touchscreen as well as the speed of Google Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) are pleasing. The camera with 13 megapixels provides pretty snapshots, but that's all. Elevated case temperatures and the simple mono speaker are both negative aspects, whereby the location of the speaker is at least good with this model. The power consumption and the provided battery runtime are average for this hardware configuration. Unfortunately, the lithium-ion battery is permanently integrated and cannot be changed. In this case, Sony could have easily made an improvement. Altogether, the Xperia ZL is a good smartphone although it won't exactly knock your socks off.

Even though it lags behind the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 in pure performance numbers, there is no denying that the Xperia ZL is a solid Android option. Sony has done a great job of packing a giant display and decent hardware into a relatively compact form. Despite the use of cheaper body materials, the ZL still manages to feel great in your hand with the side-mounted power button falling neatly under your thumb. The 13-megapixel camera is a strong contender in today’s camera-phone market, and the inclusion of a two-stage shutter button makes us hope some other smartphone manufactures may follow suit. The processor is also no slouch and the average user will likely never notice the slightly lower performance of the Snapdragon S4 Pro. It should also be noted that the Xperia ZL ships with Android 4.1.2, as opposed to the latest 4.2 build. We aren’t sure when Sony’s flagship device will receive an update, but can say that historically Sony has been somewhat slow in moving up to the latest Android builds. The tweaks Sony has made to Android are mostly minimal, a few extra animations here and there, however we are a big fan of the Stamina mode, especially given the ZL’s relatively poor battery performance.

This is a phone we were ready and even wanting to like, and if Sony had released it at CES rather than merely announce it and then wait five months, we'd probably have liked it a lot more, but that's how quickly technology is evolving in the mobile space. The HTC One and the Galaxy S4 are simply better than this phone in almost every way, and that's all there is to it. Sony is moving in the right direction, it's just too slow in getting there. Even if you did like most of what this phone has to offer, you should probably wait for the Xperia Z, which is virtually identical inside, except it's slimmer and waterproof. The Xperia ZL is available as an unlocked device directly from Sony and at some AT&T and T-Mobile stores. The price? An ouchie $760. Or, if you happen to be on Cincinnati Bell, you can get it for $250 with a two-year contract. We wouldn't do it.

Making a radical impact on today's smartphone market is no easy task, but Sony is hoping to succeed by taking a slightly different approach than its rivals. While most manufacturers have their time and resources focused on a single high-end device, the Japanese tech giant is delivering its one-two punch in the form of the slim and shiny Sony Xperia Z and its less fabulous and non-water-resistant, but (presumably) less expensive Sony Xperia ZL.

The unlocked Sony Xperia ZL's camera captures excellent images and makes clear calls but has a price that's hard to swallow.

The unlocked Sony Xperia ZL is a big, beautiful smartphone that's very comfortable to hold, but a sky-high price tag places it out of reach.