Sony Xperia L Pro Reviews

A great budget smartphone with decent performance, a top-quality display and a surprisingly competent camera

Sony offers a recommendable mainstream smartphone with the Xperia L, which has no significant drawbacks. The 4.3-inch device offers a lot of features for the current price of 240 Euros, starting with the good display, the high build quality and the good 8 MP camera. The dual core SoC Qualcomm S4 MSM8230 is no performance miracle but is sufficient for web browsing and latest games. The HDR feature is very nice and creates interesting picture effects with the push of a button. At the top of our wish list for the Xperia L is an LTE module, although that is not very realistic considering the low retail price. Longer battery runtimes would also be nice - the results are not bad but the device cannot keep up with the competition.

Surprisingly good value with superb low-light camera performance - an excellent Budget Buy handset

Overall, the Xperia L is a package that fits in its midrange spot nicely. It's an adequately powered smartphone and an above average cameraphone. There seems to be enough appeal there for common-sense buyers - and that's something to build on. Without a doubt, the Xperia L should be grateful to the Xperia U for the momentum and to Sony, for doing the right thing.

Sony is offering the Xperia L off-contract in the United States for the affordable price of $350. It is a device that will find its popularity in developing markets though where price is of bigger importance. The Xperia L is a well-rounded mid-ranger with lag-free performance in menus and nice looks. It does not have a hugely impressive screen nor a particularly great camera, though, and in the fiercely competitive Android market those are big flaws. The Xperia L is facing direct competition from mass-market devices like the HTC One SV, but also from a myriad of quad-core MediaTek-based phones from China. The latter have a much better performance but lack the design flair. All in all, this is a device for those willing to compromise. The price segment requires it. It would be a nice choice for the design conscious, but if you value specs and performance most there are more enticing options.