xperiazl1
One of the most powerful smartphones in Sony's current roster, the Sony Xperia ZL is packed with high-end hardware and a whole load of features.  Is it worth the price of entry, though? SEE SPECS BELOW.....


Design
Physically, it mirrors Sony's identifiable design language, making it distinct from many of the current phones in the market.  It has a very business-like appearance -- a far cry from the rounded, youthful aesthetic of many current handsets.  Build is good, although not as premium as Sony's flagship Xperia Z.
Display
The 5-inch display (1920 x 1080 resolution) is vibrant and sharp.  Viewing angles aren't as generous as Samsung's or HTC's current screens, but it's good nonetheless.  Straight on or at slight angles, though, everything is great.
Camera
We like the Xperia ZL's imaging app, which is based off the software on Sony's Cybershot point and shoots, allowing it to offer plenty of settings and features.  The 13 megapixel shooter manages outstanding photos both indoors and outdoors, making for one of the best smartphone cameras we've used this year.  The only drawback is shot-to-shot time, which is a little slower compared to the cameras we've used on new higher-end HTC and Nokia phones.
Features
Remember when Sony was lagging way behind other smartphones in the features department?  Fortunately, that time has long passed and the Xperia ZL can go head-to-head with practically any smartphone today.  It runs Android 4.1.2 Jellybean, along with all its native apps and services.  Sony does use its proprietary UI on top, which you'll either love or hate, depending on how much you enjoy the stock Android interface.  It comes with a plethora of wireless connectivity options (LTE, Bluetooth, IR and more), as well as a small selection of Xperia-exclusive games.
Performance
Running on a 1.5GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM, it breezes through, pretty much, anything you can throw at it.  Even the most resource-hungry games posed no problems.
Call quality is as clear as you can ask for, with very natural sounding voices.  Those on the other end reported the same.  Speakerphone wasn't as good, but was still plenty serviceable, especially with generous volume.  Battery appears to be the one Achilles heel -- expect to require a recharging before you leave work to go home if you use it frequently in the office.
Overall
As of now, the Sony Xperia ZL is only available in unsubsidized form and it ain't cheap.  Retail price is over $750, so getting one is definitely not an easy decision to make, although it is a quality phone with solid hardware and a good load of features.