Key difference: The Sony Xperia L is a mid-range smartphone. It features a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 854x480px and a scratch-resistant cover glass. It runs on Android 4.1 with a Dual-Core 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8230 chipset and 1 GB of RAM. The ZL maintains the 5-inch display in the dimensions 131.6 x 69.3 x 9.8 mm. The ZL offers the same processor, internal storage capacity, RAM and software. The ZL is also available with 4.1 Jelly upgradeable to v4.2. 

Smartphones have taken over the world! It has become a trend, a necessity and a way of life. They have made it easier to do everything on the go, from e-mailing, video conferencing, to writing up a report or a project. There isn’t anything you cannot do these days with a smartphone. But alas, similar to all technological devices, the software and features start to become outdated as new features and software are developed and released. That is how we end up with new variants of older models such as the Sony Xperia L and Xperia ZL.

The Sony Xperia L is a mid-range smartphone. It features a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 854x480px and a scratch-resistant cover glass. It runs on Android 4.1 with a Dual-Core 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8230 chipset and 1 GB of RAM. It also has all the bells and whistles, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G HSPA connectivity, as well as NFC support. The NFC is integrated with a one-touch connection to external displays in order to allow for big screen playback of videos or photos. The phone does not however have LTE capability.

Still, its saving grace has to be its 8 MP camera, which uses Sony's latest mobile Exmor RS sensor and offers a built-in HDR mode for both stills and video. The Exmor RS sensor is supposed to improved clarity and color reproduction, while the HDR mode will allow for better pictures in various different kinds of lights.

The phone is powered by a 1900mAh battery and has a battery STAMINA Mode for optimizing power consumption. The phone is available in three colors: white, black and red. It also has an LED light on the bottom of the phone that can be customized to blink different colors to indicate an incoming phone call, a missed call or text message. The light can also be programmed to blink in correspondence with the rhythm of the song played on the built in Sony Walkman music player.

The phone also comes with pre-installed Sony apps called Walkman, Album, and Movies. These are part of a pre-loaded software suite that allows for consuming and sharing a vast library of multimedia content.

The Sony Xperia ZL is very similar to its counterpart the Xperia Z; however, it differs in some aspects and is also believed that it will be offered for a lower price compared to the Z. Sony has managed to make the ZL even smaller and more compact compared to the Z. The ZL maintains the 5-inch display in the dimensions 131.6 x 69.3 x 9.8 mm. The ZL offers the same processor, internal storage capacity, RAM and software. The ZL is also available with 4.1 Jelly upgradeable to v4.2.  The ZL is also slightly heavier than the Z but it does not make that big of a dent on the design.

The major difference is ZL does not offer the dust and water resistance that is boasted by the Z. However, it does offer shatter-proof sheet and scratch-resistance glass on the front.  The back isn’t the glass that is available in the Z but has a matte or textured finish, making it easier and more comfortable to hold. The ZL also has slight differences in button and SIM slow placement. The SIM and microSD card slots are placed on the bottom lower of the back panel, while in the Z the slots are placed above the power button on the right hand side. The ZL also offers a dedicated camera button which is not available in its big brother. The ZL also lacks contact points which are available with the Z. The contact points allow the phone to be connected to a charging dock that is sold separately. The placement of the front camera also differs. The front camera in the Z was located on left-hand corner, while in the ZL it is located in the right-hand corner. However, this does not make a difference when using the phone for video conferencing. Two new features that the ZL boasts is infrared/IrDA functionality and one-touch mirroring. The IR feature allows the phone to be used as a remote with any device that supports IR and one-touch mirroring allows the phone to send, receive and play audio and video files by touching another device that supports the feature. The ZL has yet to be launched and the price has also not been fixed for the device.

The information for the detailed table about the two phones has been taken from the Sony website, and GSMArena.com.

Image Courtesy: sonymobile.com