14 DAY TRIAL // Several hours ago, Japanese handset vendor Sony Mobile made official its new flagship Android device, the Xperia Z, which is set to arrive on shelves in the first quarter of the year, accompanied by Xperia ZL, which is aimed only at select markets.
The two smartphones are almost identical when it comes to their hardware specifications, yet they sport different outer designs, as well as some other differences.
First of all, we should note that Sony unveiled them with a 5” full HD Reality Display with 443 ppi and Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, as well as with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor inside, with Adreno 320 GPU and 2 GB of RAM.
On the back, they sport a 13-megapixel photo snapper, capable of recording videos in full HD resolution, with auto-focus, flash, HDR (High Dynamic Range). There is also a 2MP front camera for making video calls.
Both smartphones sport NFC connectivity, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, xLOUD Entertainment, the usual set of sensors, DLNA Certification, GPS receiver with aGPS and GLONASS, 16 GB of internal memory, and a microSD memory card slot to expand it.
Both devices run under Google’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system and feature a series of specific applications coming from Sony themselves.
As mentioned above, one of the main differences between Xperia Z and Xperia ZL resides in their design (as can also be seen in the photos embedded below), as the former sports dust and water-proof coating, while the latter features a more compact design.
“Xperia Z is designed with shatter-proof, scratch-resistant glass on the front and back,” Sony explains.
“It’s water-resistant up to one meter, dust-resistant, and has the highest levels of dust and water resistance (IP55 & IP57) found in a premium smartphone. Xperia Z also comes enabled with LTE for the fastest download speeds (in markets where the technology is available).”
As for the specific features that Xperia ZL will hit shelves with, we can count infrared/IrDA functionality, which could easily turn it into a remote controller for various devices at home.
“In Xperia ZL, the specific features you’ll find include infrared/IrDA functionality, so that you’ll be able to use your smartphone to control your TV, cable box, DVD player or other IR enabled entertainment device,” Sony notes.
Xperia Z also comes with a Battery STAMINA mode aimed at providing users with increased standby time (by at least 4 times), as well as with a unique OmniBalance design (which translates into rounded edges and smooth reflective surfaces on all sides).
