Key Difference: The Xperia SP is a 4.6-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen phone that has been encased in an all-aluminum body. It is less then 10mm thick and weights approximately 155 grams. The screen offers HD reality display and is supported by the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2. The SP works on 2G, 3G and LTE network (depending on market availability and sports a 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Dual Core processor. 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.

Mobile companies has been busy releasing new models of cell phones and tablets almost every year and by the next year, the older models are considered outdated and new models are released. These smart phones have become a very important part of many people’s lives. It has allowed users to do everything on the go. However, to stay constantly updated with the newest technology requires money. Hence, comparing phones has become a must when purchasing a new cell phone. It may be a tedious task (that we aim to make simpler) but it is quite important.

Sony announced the launch of its most anticipated smart phone the Xperia Z in January. In March, it also announced its revamped cell phone line up. In addition to the high and mighty Z, the company has also announced the launch of the mid-range cell phone Xperia SP. The SP model combines features from the Sony’s 2012 models S and P as well retains some features from flagship.

The Xperia SP is a 4.6-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen phone that has been encased in an all-aluminum body. It is less then 10mm thick and weights approximately 155 grams. The screen offers HD reality display and is supported by the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2. The SP works on 2G, 3G and LTE network (depending on market availability and sports a 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Dual Core processor. The phone is available with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) with no word on if it is upgradeable to the 4.2 version. The phone has 8 GB worth of internal space, of which only 5.8 GB is available to the users; however, fret not Sony also offers a SD card slot that is expandable up to 32 GB.

For all the camera shutterbugs, the SP houses the 8MP Exmor RS camera that gives brilliant and sharp images in low-lighting, back-lighting and snaps shots with low noise. The camera also has features such as Superior Auto that uses Scene Recognition to automatically adjust the photo setting. Additionally, it also offers 16x digital zoom, autofocus and pulsed LED flash. One of the old features that have been revamped is the notification light from the Xperia P. The notification light has been added as a see through strip on the bottom of the handset. The notification light is customizable and the user can add different lights to different callers. The lights also changes pulse rate during songs. The notification light is visible on the both sides of the phone, making it easier to determine the caller through the light when the phone is placed faced down. The phone also offers aluminum power button the right panel and has also brought back the physical camera button. However, the phone isn’t able to record HDR video. Sony has not yet announced the prices and the launch dates for the phone.

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 Mobile website and GSMArena.com.

Images Courtesy: sonymobile.com