Review of Sony Xperia ZL (C6503): well, almost a flagship. Official deputy flag officer. Review of the Sony Xperia ZL smartphone Sony xperia zl c6503 technical specifications
General characteristics
Type
Deciding on the type of device (phone or smartphone?) is quite simple. If you need a simple and inexpensive device for calls and SMS, it is recommended to choose a telephone. A smartphone is more expensive, but it offers a wide variety of options: games, videos, the Internet, thousands of programs for all occasions. However, its battery life is significantly less than that of a regular phone.
smartphone Operating system (at the beginning of sales) Android 4.4 Case type classic Control screen buttons Number of SIM cards 1 SIM card type
Modern smartphones can use not only regular SIM cards, but also their more compact versions micro SIM and nano SIM. An eSIM is a SIM card integrated into the phone. It takes up virtually no space and does not require a separate tray for installation. eSIM is not yet supported in Russia. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
micro SIM Weight 151 g Dimensions (WxHxD) 69.3x131.6x9.8 mmScreen
Screen type color TFT, 16.78 million colors, touch Touch screen type multi-touch, capacitive Diagonal 5 inches. Image Size 1920x1080 Pixels per inch (PPI) 441 Aspect Ratio 16:9 Automatic screen rotation There is Scratch-resistant glass There isMultimedia capabilities
Number of main (rear) cameras 1 Main (rear) camera resolution 13 MP Photoflash rear, LED Functions of the main (rear) camera autofocus, digital Zoom 16x Face and smile recognition Recording videos There is Max. video resolution 1920x1080 Geo Tagging yes Front-camera yes, 2.1 MP Audio MP3, FM radio Headphone jack 3.5mm MHL Video OutputConnection
Standard GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE LTE bands support model C6503 - 800, 850, 900, 1800, 2100, 2600 MHz; model C6506 - 700, 850, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz Interfaces
Almost all modern smartphones have Wi-Fi and USB interfaces. Bluetooth and IRDA are a little less common. Wi-Fi is used to connect to the Internet. USB is used to connect your phone to a computer. Bluetooth is also found in many phones. It is used to connect wireless headphones, to connect your phone to wireless speakers, and also to transfer files. A smartphone equipped with an IRDA interface can be used as a universal remote control. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, IRDA, USB, NFC Satellite navigation
Built-in GPS and GLONASS modules allow you to determine the phone's coordinates using signals from satellites. In the absence of GPS, a modern smartphone can determine its own location using signals from cellular operator base stations. However, finding coordinates using satellite signals is usually much more accurate. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
GPS/GLONASS A-GPS system yes DLNA support yesMemory and processor
CPU
Modern phones and smartphones usually use special processors - SoC (System on Chip, system on a chip), which, in addition to the processor itself, houses the graphics core, memory controller, input/output device controller, etc. Therefore, the processor largely determines the set of functions and device performance. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
Qualcomm APQ8064, 1500 MHz Number of processor cores 4 Video processor Adreno 320 Built-in memory capacity 16 GB RAM capacity 2 GB Memory card slot Yes, up to 32 GB USB host yesAdditional Information
Equipment phone, power supply, headset, documentation Features of HDR video camera Announcement date 2013-01-08Before purchasing, check the specifications and equipment with the seller.
Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.
| Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 69.3 mm (millimeters) 6.93 cm (centimeters) 0.23 ft (feet) 2.73 in (inches) |
| Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 131.6 mm (millimeters) 13.16 cm (centimeters) 0.43 ft (feet) 5.18 in (inches) |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 9.8 mm (millimeters) 0.98 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.39 in (inches) |
| Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 151 g (grams) 0.33 lbs 5.33 oz (ounces) |
| Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. | 89.37 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.43 in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | Black White Red |
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
| GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies. | GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz |
| UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology. | UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1700/2100 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz |
| LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced. | LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz |
Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds
Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.
Operating system
An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.
SoC (System on Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.
| SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation. | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor. | 28 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications. | Krait |
| Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors. | 32 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv7 |
| Level 0 cache (L0) Some processors have L0 (level 0) cache, which is faster to access than L1, L2, L3, etc. The advantage of having such memory is not only higher performance, but also reduced power consumption. | 4 kB + 4 kB (kilobytes) |
| Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2. | 16 kB + 16 kB (kilobytes) |
| Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory. | 2048 kB (kilobytes) 2 MB (megabytes) |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel. | 4 |
| CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 1500 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc. | Qualcomm Adreno 320 |
| Number of GPU cores Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications. | 4 |
| GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 400 MHz (megahertz) |
| Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted. | 2 GB (gigabytes) |
| Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR2 |
| Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates. | Dual channel |
| RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data. | 533 MHz (megahertz) |
| ROM memory capacity ROM memory is read-only. In some mobile devices, this is the internal memory that contains the operating system. Data in ROM memory is retained even after the device is turned off. | 15258 MB (megabytes) 1.56242e+7 kB (kilobytes) |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 + MDM9215M |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends. | TFT |
| Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches. | 5 in (inches) 127 mm (millimeters) 12.7 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate screen width | 2.45 in (inches) 62.26 mm (millimeters) 6.23 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate screen height | 4.36 in (inches) 110.69 mm (millimeters) 11.07 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.778:1 16:9 |
| Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail. | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail. | 441 ppi (pixels per inch) 173 ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device. | 75.81% (percent) |
| Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics. | Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance |
| Shatter-proof sheet on scratch-resistant glass Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 Reality display |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.
Main camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.
| Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the photo sensor used in the device's camera. | Sony IMX135 Exmor RS |
| Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take photographs. The sensor, as well as optics, are one of the main factors in the quality of the camera in a mobile device. | CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) |
| Sensor size Information about the dimensions of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with larger sensors and lower pixel densities offer higher image quality despite the lower resolution. | 4.69 x 3.52 mm (millimeters) 0.23 in (inches) |
| Pixel size The smaller pixel size of the photosensor allows more pixels per unit area, thereby increasing resolution. On the other hand, a smaller pixel size can have a negative impact on image quality at high ISO levels. | 1.136 µm (micrometers) 0.001136 mm (millimeters) |
| Crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the dimensions of the full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35 mm film) and the dimensions of the device's photosensor. The indicated number represents the ratio of the diagonals of the full-frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photosensor of a particular device. | 7.38 |
| Diaphragm Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening that controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means the aperture opening is larger. | f/2.4 |
| Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile device cameras are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes produce softer light and, unlike brighter xenon flashes, are also used for video shooting. | LED |
| Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image. | 4128 x 3096 pixels 12.78 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with the device. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Video - frame rate/frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at the maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video shooting and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p. | 30fps (frames per second) |
| Characteristics Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality. | Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital image stabilization Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition |
Additional camera
Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Location determination
Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.
| Version There are several versions of Bluetooth, with each subsequent one improving communication speed, coverage, and making devices easier to discover and connect. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device. | 4.0 |
| Characteristics Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols that provide faster data transfer, energy savings, improved device discovery, etc. Some of these profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here. | A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVRCP (Audio/Visual Remote Control Profile) GATT (Generic Attribute Profile) HDP (Health Device Profile) HFP (Hands-Free Profile) HID (Human Interface Profile) HSP (Headset Profile) MAP (Message Access Profile) OPP (Object Push Profile) PBAP/PAB (Phone Book Access Profile) |
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.
HDMI
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
Video file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.
| Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours. | 2370 mAh (milliamp-hours) |
| Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices. | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) |
| 2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network. | 10 h (hours) 600 min (minutes) 0.4 days |
| 2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network. | 500 h (hours) 30000 min (minutes) 20.8 days |
| 3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network. | 13 h (hours) 780 min (minutes) 0.5 days |
| 3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network. | 500 h (hours) 30000 min (minutes) 20.8 days |
| Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery. | Fixed |
"Grey Cardinal" at the King's Court
Most readers who follow our publications certainly already know that Sony Mobile, the division of the Japanese corporation responsible for the production of mobile devices, “opened the season” this year by being one of the first to release its new top-end smartphone model called Sony Xperia Z .
The new product turned out to be very noticeable, although it acquired a somewhat scandalous status, thanks to its display, which seemed to many, to put it mildly, not the best solution on the modern market. But no matter how the Xperia Z model is criticized for its “overexposed” screen, we must give Sony its due: the company really did a good job presenting the market with a top-end smartphone that absorbed all the best developments of the Japanese company in recent years in many areas of its activities.
At one time we wrote a lot about the new product and even managed to do a detailed review of the model. Now it’s her “little sister’s” turn to undergo our “examination.” Not everyone knows that, along with the top-end Xperia Z, Sony demonstrated another new product in January called Sony Xperia ZL.
The model is also very noticeable; in terms of its hardware characteristics, it is practically no different from the flagship, and their screens, apparently, are the same. The differences lie primarily in the design. If the Sony Xperia Z was made in a “glamorous” style - all made of glass and with mirror surfaces - then its younger sister in this sense looks a little simpler. Not only is there not such a mass of glass surfaces, but also the case does not have certified protection against dust and water. In all other respects, however, the smartphone also turned out to be quite worthy of the title of top-end, and its price is not much lower than that of a flagship. In any case, this smartphone is quite worthy of its own separate review. So, let's start in order.
| Sony Xperia ZL | Sony Xperia Z | HTC One | Sharp SH930W | LG Optimus G | |
| Screen | 5″, IPS | 5″, IPS | 4.7″, S-LCD3 | 5″, S-CGS (VA) | 4.7″, IPS Plus |
| Permission | 1920×1080, 440 ppi | 1920×1080, 440 ppi | 1920×1080, 469 ppi | 1920×1080, 440 ppi | 1280×768, 317 ppi |
| SoC | Qualcomm APQ8064 @1.5 GHz (4 cores, ARMv7 Krait) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 @1.7 GHz (4 Krait 300 cores) | Qualcomm MSM8260A @1.5 GHz (2 cores, ARMv7 Krait) | Qualcomm APQ8064 @1.5 GHz (4 cores, ARMv7 Krait) | |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Flash memory | 16 GB | 16 GB | 32/64 GB | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Memory card support | microSD | microSD | No | No | No |
| operating system | Google Android 4.1 | Google Android 4.1 | Google Android 4.1 | Google Android 4.1 | Google Android 4.1 |
| SIM format* | Micro-SIM | Micro-SIM | Micro-SIM | Micro-SIM | Micro-SIM |
| Battery | non-removable, 2300 mAh | non-removable, 2330 mAh | non-removable, 2300 mAh | removable, 2100 mAh | non-removable, 2100 mAh |
| Cameras | rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP) | rear (4 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP) | rear (8 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP) | rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (1.3 MP) | |
| Dimensions | 132×69×9.8 mm, 151 g | 139×71×7.9 mm, 146 g | 137×68×9.3 mm, 143 g | 139×72×9.1 mm, 156 g | 132×69×8.5 mm, 145 g |
* The most common SIM card formats are described in a separate material.
Key Features of Sony Xperia ZL
- SoC Qualcomm APQ8064, 1.5 GHz, 4 cores
- GPU Adreno 320
- Operating system Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
- Touch display IPS, 5″, 1920×1080
- Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 16 GB
- MicroSD card slot up to 32 GB
- Communication GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
- Communication 3G UMTS HSPA+ 850, 900, 2100 MHz
- LTE Band I, III, V, VII, VIII, XX (2600/800 FDD are used in the Russian Federation)
- HSPA+ 21 Mbps
- Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, Infrared
- Support DLNA, MHL, OTG, Media Go, MTP
- Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (2 bands)
- GPS/Glonass
- Exmor RS 13 MP camera with HDR video support
- Exmor R camera, 2 MP (front)
- Lithium-ion battery 2300 mAh
- Dimensions 131.6 x 69.3 x 9.8 mm
- Weight 151 g
Equipment
The smartphone comes with in-ear headphones that are interesting in all respects (MH-EX300AP), naturally coming with a set of additional ear pads. The set also includes an advanced charger (1.5 A) and a USB cable for charging and connecting to a computer. All this is packed into a very small flat box made of soft cardboard, which clearly hints at the environmental friendliness of the packaging.
The waterproof Sony Xperia Z also comes with a charging dock, designed to avoid loosening the rubber waterproof plugs during each charging. Since the Sony Xperia ZL is not a protected model, the company didn’t bother with an additional docking station this time, which is a pity.
Appearance and ease of use
The design of the Sony Xperia ZL is quite unusual and distinctive. The front part, along with the protective glass of the display and mirrored side inserts on the edges, was inherited from the smartphone by its “big brother”. According to Sony representatives, the older model, Xperia Z, is the first of the new design concepts called OmniBalance. Its essence is the complete symmetry of all parts, rounded edges and smooth reflective surfaces on all sides. The same rounded edges, absence of sharp corners and edges, and the presence of mirror polyamide inserts on the side edges characterize the Sony Xperia ZL model.
However, when it comes to the rear, things are completely different. The back surface is made in the style of a “practical” design, in which the surfaces do not have gloss, but, on the contrary, are equipped with a soft-touch rubberized coating. Thus, the plastic ribbed matte back cover of the Sony Xperia ZL looks as if it is “not from here.” Matte practical plastic does not fit well in appearance with sophisticated mirrored side inserts, in which you can even see your reflection. These two parts are from different worlds, and it is obvious that ordinary plastic sides made of the same material as the back cover would suit the Sony Xperia ZL model more than these glamorous mirrors that came here from a completely different model.
As for the dimensions, the smartphone is slightly smaller in size than the flagship, but at the same time thicker and heavier. To tell the truth, the thin glass “plate” of the Sony Xperia Z, for all its external beauty and glamor, was not very comfortable to hold in your hands. Slippery and cold glass surfaces, thin edges and thin body thickness did their job. Things are completely different with the Sony Xperia ZL: a solid thick body comfortably fills the entire palm, the edges do not cut into the fingers, the rubberized plastic fits perfectly in the hand, does not reflect in the sun and does not get dirty at all. All this suggests that the Sony Xperia ZL smartphone is more convenient in its ergonomics than the flagship model, and this is its undoubted advantage.
- Sony Xperia ZL: 131.6 x 69.3 x 9.8 mm, 151 g
- Sony Xperia Z: 139×71×7.9 mm, 146 g
What else catches your eye when you first look at the Sony Xperia ZL is the extremely thin bezels around the screen. From a distance it seems as if they are not there at all, and there is only one display in your hand. The screen, by the way, is rather large - five inches, but due to these thin frames the smartphone does not look like a “shovel”, as large phones are now commonly called.
There are now no dedicated buttons on the front panel at all - they have moved to the screen in the form of soft buttons, and this makes the frames around the screen even smaller. By the way, a study was even conducted on this topic. Thus, according to Strategy Analytics, the display of the new product occupies 76% of the front panel, which is a record figure and makes the Xperia ZL the most compact smartphone with a five-inch display.
Another interesting thing: the front camera module on the front panel is not located on top, like everyone else, but on the bottom - in the lower right corner under the screen. Here, half a centimeter from the camera eye, is the microphone hole. Obviously, the developers, after thinking carefully, finally decided that these two elements should still be nearby during a video call, which is very logical.
The other module - the main, rear camera - is located, as it should be, on the rear surface, in its upper part. Its organization is also quite well thought out: although the module itself protrudes slightly from the body, the glass covering the lens is, however, protected from contact with other surfaces by a small rim. Because of this, wiping the glass may not be so convenient, but it will not be scratched. By the way, due to the camera module protruding from the back cover, the surface of the smartphone is raised above the table, which allows sound to freely exit the external speaker hole. This way, the sound is not muffled by the table surface if the phone is lying face up. Here, next to the camera and speaker grille, the camera’s LED flash and an additional second microphone are located. In other words, all the elements on the back surface are clustered this time at the top of the back surface of the smartphone.
However, not all. At the bottom there is a barely noticeable hatch - a lid cut directly into the plastic and closing in the manner of ordinary side plugs. But, unfortunately, this plug is not waterproof, which automatically deprives the Sony Xperia ZL of the status of a protected device. It's a pity. However, many of our regular readers note that it is much more tiring for them to tinker every day with opening and closing these rubber plugs that cover the side connectors of the device from water and dust, rather than occasionally taking advantage of such an additional advantage as the waterproof properties of the device. Well, we cannot but agree with this. Thus, it turns out that the lack of dust/moisture resistance on the Sony Xperia ZL smartphone also results in a certain advantage: there is no need to regularly open and close various side and end caps on the smartphone. The Sony Xperia ZL doesn't have any of them.
Returning to the cover on the rear surface: under this hatch there are only two standard slots: Micro-SIM SIM cards and microSD memory cards. In their organization, these elements resemble the legendary line of HTC smartphones: Hero/Legend. For those, too, not the entire back cover was removed, but only the lower part, which provided access to the card slots. True, unlike them, there is no way to remove the battery. The battery here is non-removable, and this is a definite minus. Whatever they say, a removable battery allows you to revive a frozen device, and sometimes these elements swell. Then you can’t do without a trip to the service center. However, this is what manufacturers are trying to achieve, isn’t it?
As for the rest of the interface elements, they are all located along the edges of the device, and, as mentioned above, they are all open. Everything is in order with the connectors: Micro-USB is embedded in the upper part of the left side, and the 3.5 mm audio output for headphones is traditionally located at the top.
The location of the two-position volume rocker is a little unusual: it is located on the right side, just above the round metal power button. It is impossible to see anything negative in this, only advantages: the user is deprived of the opportunity to get into a situation where, by pressing one button, he automatically runs into another one - on the opposite edge. Unfortunately, most smartphones bristling with an excessive number of buttons are guilty of this.
The Sony Xperia ZL is fine with this. The keys are large, soft, have a smooth deep stroke and a clear response. They feel great to the touch - everything is fine with that. As for the round power button emblem on the side, it has already been seen this year on at least four devices, so we can consider it a kind of metal emblem of the new generation of Sony smartphones. The generation that replaced devices with a green circle from Sony Ericsson.
And the last element that I would like to note are the nice holes in the lower left corner of the case. This is nothing more than a hook for attaching a cord to your hand or a bauble-keychain. An elegant and sometimes very useful solution.
On this, in principle, we can finish the description of the appearance of the Sony Xperia ZL smartphone. Of course, the smartphone turned out to be very, very high quality; there is practically nothing to complain about in its technical performance. The materials are expensive, all the details fit neatly, no cracks or flaws were noticed, as well as awkward and ugly parts and protruding elements. This is an expensive, high-quality smartphone from the top category, and it will cost accordingly. However, it is still very different from its older brother Xperia Z - precisely in the absence of a touch of expensive glamor. In other words, this phone is not for those who like to show off and show off their high social status - for those, the “mirror” Xperia Z is more likely to be suitable.
By the way, this is confirmed by the choice of colors of the new product. Unlike the Xperia Z, which has, among others, an unusual purple color, everything here is much more prosaic: only black or white options are available to the user who wants to purchase the Sony Xperia ZL.
Screen
The screen of the Sony Xperia ZL is just as strange as that of the Xperia Z. With any, even slight deviation of the view from the normal, the screen instantly turns gray and fades. Perhaps this is its main drawback. Otherwise, the Sony Xperia ZL display is good: no grain is visible, the pixel density is high, the colors are calm, and the responsiveness is excellent.
In numbers, the physical parameters of the Sony Xperia ZL screen are as follows: screen dimensions - 62x110 mm, diagonal - 127 mm (5 inches), resolution - Full HD 1080p (1920x1080 pixels), PPI pixel density is more than 440 dpi, which is now an outstanding, although not a record, figure. The latest “loner” from Taiwanese HTC set a record in this sense - the HTC One model has a pixel density of 469 ppi. Brightness has both manual and automatic adjustment, the latter based on the operation of the light sensor. Multi-touch technology allows you to simultaneously process up to ten touches, which is confirmed by tests. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. By the way, in this particular model I would like to note one irritating point: it is quite unpleasant, and sometimes even painful, to press the sharp upper edge of the smartphone with a very hard rim protruding above the glass to your ear. Feeling this, I immediately tried all the test smartphones available in the editorial office, but did not receive similar unpleasant sensations from any other model.
 |
 |
Sony representatives themselves in official sources call the Sony Xperia ZL display “Reality Display with Mobile Bravia Engine 2,” thus not forgetting to emphasize the presence of the Mobile Bravia Engine technology used in the smartphone. However, this name has no direct relation to the matrix itself: this technology is software, and it only works when viewing photos and videos in media players and photo galleries. In other words, software improves any photo and video images in terms of sharpness, contrast and color saturation. Well, the number 2 in the name is, rather, a purely marketing ploy: for an ordinary person, the difference when using the first or second version of the Mobile Bravia Engine is almost invisible. As for the physical properties of the display, it is not always known for certain what technology is used to produce the screen of a particular Sony smartphone model. Representatives of the company, answering this question, tactfully but firmly avoid this topic, mentioning only that suppliers of screens in different deliveries may be different, and therefore, screen production technologies may also differ slightly. Yes, all of these screens are manufactured using technologies developed by Sony, but the manufacturing factories themselves are owned by several different manufacturing companies.
A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion about the Sony Xperia ZL screen.
The smartphone screen is covered with a glass plate, onto which a plastic mirror-smooth protective film is factory-glued, which is relatively scratch-resistant, but still less hard than inorganic glass. The protective film has oleophobic (grease-repellent) properties, so fingerprints are removed more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass. Judging by the reflection of bright light sources, there is a very effective anti-glare filter that reduces the brightness of reflected objects.
When manually controlling the brightness, its maximum value was 540 cd/m², the minimum was 36 cd/m². As a result, at maximum brightness in bright daylight you can use your smartphone without any inconvenience, and at minimum brightness you will be able to comfortably work with this mobile device even in complete darkness. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (apparently it is located in the upper right corner). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider: if it is 100%, then in complete darkness the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to at least 30 cd/m² (normal), in an office illuminated by artificial light it sets it to 90 cd/m² (acceptable ), in a very bright environment increases to a maximum of 540 cd/m² (as it should be). If the brightness slider is set to 50%, the values are as follows: 20, 55 and 540 cd/m², if at 0% - 15, 25 and 540 cd/m². In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. At lower brightness, there is no backlight modulation at all, so there is no backlight flickering.
In the technical specifications, Sony, like many other manufacturers, indicates that a TFT type matrix is used, without specifying its specific type. Apparently, if necessary, change the matrix to at least TN. It's a joke. Based on external features - viewing angles, behavior of the black field and color changes when viewed at an angle - the matrix here is either IPS, or something very similar. However, microphotographs of the matrix tend to suggest that it’s just “something.” For example, this is what the pixels of a typical IPS matrix of a mobile device look like:
And this is the pixels of the Sony Xperia ZL screen:
These photographs are arranged in order of decreasing brightness of the output hue, from white to dark gray. It can be seen that the ZL subpixels differ in outline from the IPS subpixels. You can also notice that as the hue brightness decreases, the dark spot in the center of each subpixel increases in size. Perhaps this smartphone has a matrix installed like:
But we will not insist on this version. The dark rectangle with a tail present on some of the blue sub-pixels may be part of the capacitive sensor integrated into the LCD panel. Interestingly, to compensate for the decrease in brightness, the area of such subpixels is slightly increased. The photo below shows how these subpixels alternate:
However, from a practical point of view, it makes absolutely no difference what pixels the screen has. The main thing is how it shows. Let's return to this issue.
The screen of this smartphone has good viewing angles without inverting shades and without significant color shifts, even with large deviations of the view from perpendicular to the screen. When deviated diagonally, the black field becomes much lighter, but remains close to a neutral gray color. When viewed strictly perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is very good. The black-white-black response time is 10.4 ms (5.9 ms on + 4.5 ms off). The transition between halftones 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 21 ms. The matrix of this smartphone is clearly faster than is usually the case with similar devices. The contrast is quite high - 900:1. The gamma curve constructed using 32 points did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the index of the approximating power function is 1.97, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve deviates slightly from the power-law dependence:
The color gamut is slightly wider than sRGB:
Apparently, the components are well separated, and the spectra confirm this:
Note that color saturation is moderate, visually the colors are a little more vibrant, but not yet so oversaturated that color images appear distorted. On the significant part of the gray scale (dark areas can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the measurement error at low brightness is large), delta E is less than 4 and the color temperature is not much higher than the standard 6500 K:
In general, there are no special complaints about the color balance, but you can try to improve it, since this smartphone has the ability to adjust the balance of shades of gray using two sliders that change the color of the additional hue and its saturation:
The result of this correction is shown on the gray scale on the left side of the screen, and by touching this area with your finger, you can see the original version of the shades without correction. The change in shades is visible visually, but it is not visible in the “software” screenshots above, since the original color values are read from the buffer.
We looked at what the proprietary Mobile Bravia Engine 2 function does with colors in a previous article about Sony Xperia Z. Comparing the screens of the Sony Xperia Z and ZL, we can come to the conclusion that the second screen is even slightly better, since it is brighter, more contrasty and initially has a slightly better balance of gray shades.
Additionally, the MHL interface was tested. To test it, we used an LG IPS237L monitor that supports direct MHL connection using a passive adapter cable from Micro-USB to HDMI. In this case, output via MHL is carried out in a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels with a frequency of 30 frames/s. With an active MHL connection, regardless of the actual orientation of the smartphone, the image is displayed on the smartphone and monitor screens only in landscape orientation. The actual resolution is equal to the smartphone screen resolution - 1920 by 1080 pixels. Sound is output via MHL (in this case, the sounds were heard through headphones connected to the monitor, since there are no speakers in the monitor itself) and is of good quality. At the same time, at least multimedia sounds are not output through the loudspeaker of the smartphone itself, and the volume is not adjusted using the buttons on the smartphone body, but the sound is turned off at the minimum position of the volume slider. The smartphone connected via MHL is charging.
Video output using the standard player deserves a special description. To begin with, using a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”), we checked how video is displayed on the screen of the smartphone itself. Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames/ With). The results of this test (block entitled “Screen”) and subsequent ones are summarized in the table:
| File | Uniformity | Passes |
| Screen | ||
| watch-1920×1080-60p.mp4 | did not play | |
| watch-1920×1080-50p.mp4 | did not play | |
| watch-1920×1080-30p.mp4 | Fine | No |
| watch-1920×1080-25p.mp4 | Fine | No |
| watch-1920×1080-24p.mp4 | Fine | No |
| watch-1280×720-60p.mp4 | Fine | few |
| watch-1280×720-50p.mp4 | Fine | No |
| watch-1280×720-30p.mp4 | Fine | No |
| watch-1280×720-25p.mp4 | Fine | No |
| watch-1280×720-24p.mp4 | Fine | No |
| MHL (monitor) | ||
| watch-1920×1080-60p.mp4 | did not play | |
| watch-1920×1080-50p.mp4 | did not play | |
| watch-1920×1080-30p.mp4 | Great | No |
| watch-1920×1080-25p.mp4 | Fine | No |
| watch-1920×1080-24p.mp4 | Fine | No |
| watch-1280×720-60p.mp4 | Badly | a lot of |
| watch-1280×720-50p.mp4 | Badly | a lot of |
| watch-1280×720-30p.mp4 | Great | No |
| watch-1280×720-25p.mp4 | Fine | No |
| watch-1280×720-24p.mp4 | Fine | No |
| MHL (adapter) | ||
| watch-1280×720-60p.mp4 | Badly | a lot of |
| watch-1280×720-50p.mp4 | Fine | few |
| watch-1280×720-30p.mp4 | Great | No |
| watch-1280×720-25p.mp4 | Fine | No |
| watch-1280×720-24p.mp4 | Fine | No |
Note: If both the Uniformity and Dropout columns are rated green, this means that when watching movies, there will most likely be no or no amount of artifacts caused by frame spacing or dropouts visible. will not affect viewing comfort. “Red” marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the corresponding files.
It turns out that none of the files play back perfectly - the intervals between frames alternate unevenly, in one case a small part of the frames is skipped, and 1080p files at 50 and 60 fps actually do not play back. However, except for these two cases, it is quite difficult to visually notice artifacts.
With a monitor connected via MHL, when playing video with a standard player, an exact copy of the smartphone screen is displayed on the connected monitor. When playing video files with Full HD resolution (1920 by 1080 pixels) on the monitor screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed one-on-one, exactly along the border of the screen in true Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the monitor slightly does not correspond to the original one - in the shadows the range is 14 shades, in the highlights - by 16, while on the smartphone screen all gradations of shades are displayed in the highlights and shadows (for video in the range of 16-235). The results of monitor output tests are shown in the table above in the “ MHL (monitor)" It can be seen that only files with a frame rate of 30 fps are ideally reproduced, which corresponds to the monitor output mode - 1080p at 30 fps. 1080p files at 50 and 60 fps are not actually played back, all other file types are at least played back with uneven alternating intervals between frames. However, the remark is the same as when discussing the display of the smartphone itself - with the exception of video files with 50 and 60 fps, artifacts may not be visible on fragments of other real films.
Additionally, video output (with a standard player) via MHL using an MHL adapter was tested. When using this adapter, output to the monitor was carried out in 720p mode at 60 fps, which determined the maximum actual image resolution. With the exception of resolution and frame rate, everything else - the nature of the interface output, charging, audio output and gray scale - did not differ from a direct connection via MHL. The test results are shown in the table above in the “ MHL (adapter)" It can be seen that up to 720p files at 50 fps, the output quality is quite good.
In general, despite the discovered “peculiarities”, an MHL connection can be used for games, watching movies, displaying web pages and other activities that benefit from multiplying the screen size.
Note that this smartphone implements several more functions related to working together with a TV, for example, the screen “duplicating” function, implemented using NFC and Wi-Fi technologies, as well as remote control. Apparently, these functions only work in conjunction with Sony Bravia TVs (and even then not with all models), so we did not have the opportunity to test or at least check their functionality.
Sound
There are no complaints at all about the sound of the Sony Xperia ZL speakers. It even seemed to me that the smartphone sounds better in some ways than its older brother. By the way, there may be objective reasons for this, related to the different materials used to make the cases. In other words, even if the built-in speakers of both models are the same, the sound can still be affected by the materials from which smartphones are made, just as, for example, wood or plastic can affect the sound of sound speakers. The glass Xperia Z has a more ringing sound than the Xperia ZL. There is also an opinion that the Xperia Z's speakers, protected from moisture, sound muffled than the Xperia ZL's uncovered speakers. Here, the sound of the external speaker is simply excellent: clear, smooth throughout the entire volume range, fully saturated with low frequencies, and there is enough volume for any environment. The speaker hole here, by the way, is not on the side, like the Xperia Z, but on the back. However, the rim around the camera glass, which raises the body above the surface, does not allow the speaker grille to overlap, and the sound, accordingly, is practically not muffled. The sound of the external speaker is additionally processed using proprietary xLoud technology. This technology, developed by Sony, enhances the volume of the main speaker without introducing (if possible) distortion into the sound. The speech of the interlocutor is easily recognized, the auditory speaker clearly conveys all the intonations and timbre of the voice, the auditory speaker also provides a wide range of frequencies, including low ones.
 |
 |
The standard audio player, traditionally called a Walkman, is rich in settings and additional software sound improvements, such as a built-in equalizer with ten preset values to choose from (you can set your own), ClearBass, Clear Phase, xLoud technologies or virtual surround sound. Control of most settings is available if the ClearAudio+ function is turned off, otherwise all settings are left to the machine. By the way, the visualization of Sony players is excellent: everything is very beautifully drawn, there are many tabs, settings, improvements, it is not only convenient to use, but also aesthetically pleasing. Here you can edit tags and work with covers.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
There is an FM radio in the smartphone, but traditionally it only works when you connect headphones that act as an external antenna. There are many radio settings. The Sony Xperia ZL has a voice recorder as standard software, but it is not called up in the usual way. You can find it not in the list of installed applications, but in the so-called small applications menu, which can be called up at any time by pressing the rightmost on-screen button. If you start the voice recorder during a telephone conversation, it will only record your voice - the voice of the interlocutor will not be heard. The resulting voice files are saved in the notes section; you should look for recordings from the voice recorder there.
 |
 |
The main, rear 13-megapixel camera is even more unusual. The developers say that the Sony Xperia ZL is the first to use the new Exmor RS sensor, based on BSI matrix back-illumination technology. Most of all, the developers praise the HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology here, which is used to create photographs in brightly lit environments. An HDR camera takes multiple shots of the same image at different shutter speeds and then overlays them to create the best quality photo. But the most amazing thing is that the HDR technology in the Xperia ZL smartphone can also be used when recording videos.
By default, the camera operates in the so-called super auto mode (iauto), and the maximum resolution that can be set is 12 megapixels with an aspect ratio of 4:3, then the photos are 3920x2940 in size. The maximum resolution of camera images is 13 megapixels, but this can only be achieved if you independently switch the shooting mode to normal. Then the resulting photos will have a size of 4128 × 3096, that is, in terms of those same 13 megapixels. Both the camera and the resulting photos are all exactly the same as the Xperia Z. Therefore, we will not repeat ourselves, we will only present comparative test images taken directly with the Sony Xperia ZL camera.
Photos taken in Normal mode with 4:3 (13 MP) and 16:9 (9 MP) aspect ratios:
Thanks to the built-in auto focus function, close objects, as well as text from paper or the monitor screen, can be captured on camera.
And a few more pictures taken with default settings, that is, those that the user will receive immediately after purchase “out of the box” (9 MP, 3920x2204, “super auto” mode).
The camera can shoot video in Full HD resolution 1080p, the quality is excellent, it can be used for home recording. Below are several videos shot at maximum settings at 30 frames per second. Videos are saved in MP4 (video - MPEG-4 AVC ( [email protected]), sound - AAC LC, 128 Kbps, 48 kHz, 2 channels) and have a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels (16:9). For visual comparison, we shot another video in a resolution of 1280x720 (720p).
- Video No. 1 (45.7 MB, 1920×1080)
- Video No. 2 (28.8 MB, 1920×1080)
- Video No. 3 (19.4 MB, 1280×720)
The camera control settings are quite standard, most of them are familiar from other Android smartphones: it is possible to link geotags, add graphic effects, enable smile detection, panoramic shooting, and, of course, software enhancement can be used here using HDR technology (High Dynamic Range), including in relation to video shooting. There is image stabilization, and the shutter sound can be turned off.
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
In modern smartphones, the shutter can usually be released using the volume key - this is now implemented by many manufacturers, but not by Sony. At Sony, this key, in the old fashioned way, is responsible for digital zoom, which most people do not use. Therefore, a rather important point is the fact that the Xperia ZL model has a separate hardware key for controlling the camera. Let us remind you that the flagship model Sony Xperia Z does not have such a key. On the positive side, we can also note the ability to take photos while recording video; this function is already becoming familiar to most new smartphones.
Software
Sony Xperia ZL currently runs on the Google Android software platform version 4.1.2. As usual, the company installed its own shell on top of the standard OS interface, which has already become classic for modern Sony phones. The shell significantly changes the interface and adds several applications of its own. The desktop consists of five horizontally scrolling screens and a fixed panel of five icons at the bottom. The application menu also has several horizontal screens with a 4x5 matrix of icons, but the management of these icons is moved to the top - a convenient menu appears there for selecting, redistributing, deleting and various sorting. You can even organize your own order of distribution of program icons, which is convenient. It is also possible to create folders - both on desktops and inside the application menu.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
In general, in terms of the internal arrangement of the interface and pre-installed applications in the Xperia ZL, everything is exactly the same as in the Xperia Z. Therefore, we will not repeat ourselves, we will only note that the model we are considering today has one noticeable difference - the IR port. Using an infrared transmitter, you can control various devices, from a TV to a set-top box, and all profiles are already included in the smartphone software; all you have to do is choose your model.
Telephone and communications
Sony Xperia ZL works not only in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, but also has support for fourth generation networks (LTE) in the bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20. Traditionally, this characteristic is marked as “This function is not available in all regions." For domestic users, band 7 is of interest, on which the operators Yota and Megafon operate. Thus, the Sony Xperia ZL is one of the few devices that officially supports Russian 4G networks, which can be a significant competitive advantage for some categories of users. On the other hand, we must understand that compatibility alone is not enough. The real effect of increasing data access speed depends on many external factors, including the quality of reception, cell load and operator channels. However, it should be noted that in the months that have passed since the first testing, the situation has improved: new devices are appearing, coverage is improving, and speed and quality remain at a high level.
The radio part of the tested Sony Xperia ZL smartphone is stable; no spontaneous signal losses or dropouts from the telecom operator’s network were noticed. The screen is huge, drawing keys, numbers and letters for dialing and the virtual keyboard for typing SMS messages is very convenient. In addition, the virtual keyboard of the Sony Xperia ZL has several options for keyboard layouts, as well as visual shells for them, so that everyone can choose the most convenient and attractive arrangement of keys from the presented options to suit their taste. It is also possible to enter text using sliding gestures from letter to letter.
 |
 |
 |
 |
No freezes or spontaneous reboots/shutdowns were observed during testing. When you bring it to your ear, the screen is blocked by the proximity sensor. The light sensor controls the screen brightness level automatically. The extraordinary LED indicator at the bottom of the case under the screen is very interesting: it can glow red during charging, as well as in many other colors during various events. A nice and unconventional solution is another plus in the balance for Sony for its constant search for innovation.
The device is equipped with the majority of modern network interfaces and wireless controllers: Bluetooth version 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n with support for both frequency bands (2.4 and 5 GHz), NFC, there is support for DLNA, MHL and OTG. It is possible to communicate directly with other devices via Wi-Fi Direct, as well as organize a Wi-Fi access point. To ensure fast wireless data transfer in mobile networks, the smartphone supports the HSPA+ standard.
The GPS module is assisted in determining the location by A-GPS technology; with its help, orientation on the terrain is carried out almost instantly. The phone also claims to support the Russian Glonass service. The cold start with the search for satellites took less than a minute.
 |
 |
Sony Xperia ZL easily mounts and recognizes any USB flash drive when connected via the Micro-USB connector. At least the experiment with the 32 GB flash drive was successful. The phone effortlessly reproduced all the file formats familiar to it directly from the flash drive - played videos, music, opened various documents.
The Sony Xperia ZL has support for NFC, a short-range high-frequency wireless communication technology that allows data exchange between devices located at a distance of about 10 centimeters. This technology is aimed primarily at use in mobile phones and payment terminals, and in some countries it is already being widely used for contactless payments, paying for public transport, or even personal identification. In our country, NFC has not yet become widespread, but already now the user of a smartphone that supports this technology can try it out in action. All you need to do is download and install the Yandex.Metro application, which, when you hold a travel ticket to your phone, can show the expiration dates and the number of trips remaining. Another application is offered by the domestic cellular operator MTS, which has organized NFC support for making contactless payments. The Mobile Wallet kit includes a special MTS SIM card with MasterCard PayPass technology, linked to an MTS Money bank card. In addition, the kit comes with an NFC antenna, which must be placed in the SIM card slot. That is, for such contactless payments, in any case, just a smartphone is not enough - you also need to obtain and insert a new special SIM card into it, and also open a corresponding account at MTS Bank. But in the case of a phone that supports NFC technology, you won’t also have to install an antenna - but this is not so simple, and in the iPhone, where the SIM card is pushed into the body through a slot, it simply won’t be possible to install it.
Sony has organized advanced support for NFC in its smartphones, setting up the production of NFC accessories and equipping its smartphones with software for working with these accessories. We are talking about so-called SmartTags. Such programmed tags-sensors are hung or pasted in any place in the house or car and serve to control the smartphone when brought to them. To exchange information between devices, short-distance communication technology - NFC - is used. When you bring your smartphone to such a mark, a certain mode or profile is activated, using a set of functions needed at the moment - turning on navigation while driving a car, for example.
Performance
The hardware platform of the Sony Xperia ZL is exactly the same as that of the flagship Xperia Z. The platform is based on the powerful SoC Qualcomm APQ8064 (Snapdragon S4 Pro), with a central quad-core Krait processor (ARMv7) operating at 1.5 GHz. It is supported in graphics processing by a powerful modern Adreno 320 chip. The device has 2 GB of RAM. The storage available to the user for uploading their own files is about 11 GB. Nominally, the system memory in the smartphone is 16 GB, but the remaining volume is used only for the system and pre-installed programs.
 |
 |
When you connect your smartphone to your computer, both storage devices are mounted as independent removable drives - provided, of course, that the memory card is inserted into its slot. MicroSD memory cards up to 32 GB are supported, but 64 GB are certainly recognized here.
We compared the hardware performance of the new product in various popular tests with the performance of other top modern smartphones we have previously tested. The Sony Xperia ZL, as expected, was in the top ranks, demonstrating very high performance results, but it cannot compete with the most powerful new product - the Samsung Galaxy S4. But the Japanese device can easily compete with another popular model among users, LG Optimus G, and is even ahead of it in some ways. Here are comparative tables made by the AnTuTu program. Our own results differ slightly from these, but the general balance of power is clear.
It remains to be noted that the results obtained when testing the Sony Xperia ZL model were similar to the results of the Xperia Z - the difference is within the margin of error. This is quite logical, because both devices are built on identical platforms.
In the Epic Citadel gaming test, in High Performance mode, the test subject gave an excellent result of 56.7 fps.
In the tougher Epic Citadel, High Quality mode, the Sony Xperia ZL showed an equally outstanding result of 55.6 fps - screenshots of both screens in front of you.
To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it.
| Format | Container, video, sound | MX Video Player | Standard video player |
| DVDRip | AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3 | plays normally | plays normally |
| Web-DL SD | AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3 | plays normally | plays normally |
| Web-DL HD | MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3 | ||
| BDRip 720p | MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3 | The video plays normally, the sound is only software¹ | The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹ |
| BDRip 1080p | MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3 | The video plays normally, the sound is only software¹ | The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹ |
¹ sound in MX Video Player was played only after switching to software decoding; The standard player does not have this setting
Battery life
The capacity of the lithium-ion battery installed in the Sony Xperia ZL is 2300 mAh. The battery is non-removable, so you won’t be able to remove it and replace it with a new one yourself.
To save energy, the Sony Xperia ZL has a new battery mode - Stamina. It provides better battery management and increases the phone's standby time. If your phone has this mode enabled, when the screen turns off, the phone automatically closes unused applications that use a lot of energy, and launches them only when the screen turns on again. Wi-Fi by location also serves to save money: in this mode, the smartphone activates the wireless module only when it recognizes the presence of a familiar network, rather than keeping it turned on all the time.
 |
 |
We carefully measured the battery life in reading, gaming and video modes twice: with stamina enabled and without. The results, as expected, showed that the energy-saving mode does not have any effect on the duration of continuous operation in such artificially created conditions. Which is understandable: the system turns off some modules and applications when the screen goes dark, but in our tests it is always on, so the results were absolutely identical.
The Sony Xperia ZL is fully charged in exactly 2 hours.
Prices
The average retail price of the device in rubles in Moscow at the time of reading the article can be found by moving the mouse to the price tag.
Bottom line
The Sony Xperia ZL turned out to be very interesting due to the combination of its advanced characteristics, a strong hardware platform and some unique features. The differences from the flagship are minimal, and it’s not a fact that all of them are negative: for example, the presence of an IR transmitter or more compact dimensions with a similar screen cannot be listed as disadvantages. At the same time, the price for the Xperia ZL is several thousand lower than the flagship: our stores are now asking about 27 thousand for a certified device, and even less for an uncertified one. But even at this price, the Sony Xperia ZL has very powerful competitors. The closest of them seems to be HTC One, a new device from a Taiwanese company, the pre-order price for which is 27,990 rubles, which may not work in Sony’s favor. After all, the HTC device has a lot of interesting additional “goodies”, for example, an all-metal body and an unusual camera with a large matrix. Perhaps, in the price fight against HTC in our market, Sony will have to make room a little, because at the same price, the HTC model looks preferable.
pros
excellent sound, excellent screen, high performance, no lags, fits well in the hand!Minuses
The battery is not removable and cannot be replaced with a more powerful one. The charge lasts 1.5 days with average use in STAMINA mode - not enough. With a full load on the phone - Internet, movies, games - 1 day. It takes a long time to charge.Impression
there was a choice between XPERIA Z and XPERIA ZL. Since I am not an active person and the water resistance of the phone is not important to me, I settled on the ZL model. The quality of assembly is excellent, there are no gaps, no creaking, I was pleased with the dimensions of the phone. It is smaller than Z and the screen covers almost the entire surface of the phone. Fits perfectly in the hands. The back cover is corrugated and does not slip. does not collect fingerprints. I just turned on the phone and immediately received a message about an update due to lags (if anyone remembers the XPERIA Z died from lags) Sony fixed this problem almost immediately. The screen is excellent! In the sun everything is very readable. The quality of video playback and photo viewing is simply superb! There is a white banana. I realized that the stock video player does not read avi, but I downloaded the MX player and forgot about this problem. The sound is excellent - Sony. The stock Walkman has so many settings that there is no need to download anything additional. Camera - no complaints at all. Auto mode is enough for your eyes. Giblets are on the level! In terms of performance, it’s not much better, but it beats the XPERIA Z. There are no lags.Is the review helpful?
pros
Price/(functional quality), Beauty (especially white) and quality of the case,Minuses
Speaker sound, little screenImpression
I use it for 10 days and the flight is normal. A very pretty model (I admit that her appearance had a significant influence on the choice) hid it in an expensive leather case and shed tears... THIS IS UNFAIR. Taking into account the drop in price (this happened in Ukraine), when the Z1 was released, the model became even more interesting in terms of price/quality ratio. For one-handed use the dimensions are borderline but still comfortable. The brightness of the screen is quite enough (anything is better than amoled in the sun), there is a delay with a color change when looking at an angle, but... why should I look at it at an angle ONCE) and it’s still readable TWO) although it’s unclear why they didn’t make the negative sign perfectly shorter a small minus. The plastic on the back is amazingly pleasant to the touch (envy and cry Samsung Galaxy s4). The camera... I don’t shoot weddings with it, I’m fine, perhaps you can find a better one, although again not much shorter - on par. Autonomy is not bad as for an android I live for 2 days and the lifespan primarily depends not on calls but on the time the screen is on and loading the processor (I really opened everyone’s eyes, because no one expected it ;))), and when By properly configuring the bucket (turning off unnecessary functions, properly silencing games, etc.), this indicator can be significantly increased. Comparing it with the Z, which I turned over in my hands before the final choice in favor of the Zl, I will say that, for me, it fits better in the hand and is slightly smaller in size, there are no plugs and the sound is louder (at the same time I don’t call underwater), there is an IR port for f- tions of the remote control, all this taking into account the same hardware platform and lower price influenced my choice. Now I’ll scold you a little for variety, the sound of the speaker is not very... no, it’s loud (again, not very loud, but enough) but after the Nokia N95, which faithfully and truthfully for many years, Sonya doesn’t sound at all. SCHOOL!!! The phone is not for musical recess, please note!!!
Choose this phone because of its appearance and price and you will be pleased. If you want advanced functionality and performance, look at the Galaxy S4, HTC One, or Sonya Z1
Is the review helpful?
What I didn't like
Low viewing angles of the TFT screen, which causes severe eye fatigue. Sometimes it gets very hot. There is no connector for a docking station.
What I liked
Appearance, quite good build. Great sound. Good headphones.
What I didn't like
The screen is glass, after three months of work microcracks appeared, this repair is not included in the warranty, although I did not injure it, the cost of repairing replacement glass is 8 thousand rubles!!! The battery is not as powerful as the manufacturer claims.
What I liked
The phone is good, works fast, the screen is bright, the design is beautiful, there is a lot of internal memory.
What I didn't like
1) Huge! Constant rebooting of the device, if you actively use it and if it just sits there, you often see a picture of how the smart device goes into reboot. After updating the software to 4.3, nothing has changed, it behaves the same way.
2) Non-removable battery
3) The screen is susceptible to scratches. I had some change in my pocket and now there is a trace of the coin left.
4) The battery dies instantly, even if it’s just in standby mode.
What I liked
I won’t list them, since any advantage is extraordinary, and this device does not have that.
What I didn't like
Loses connection, not the network, everything is fine, the antenna is full, but it is impossible not to receive a call, I was in the service, this is normal for Sony, the advice (service in Rostov on Budenovsky) is to reboot every day, nonsense does not help. Junta.
What I liked
What I didn't like
camera and fragile body
What I liked
speed, design, powerful stuffing in such a small body with a huge display, the battery lasts longer than the Peshka, but the camera is much worse than the Peshka, although it’s 13 pixels, the sound is nothing special, I really liked the idea with the indicator, although it’s not for everyone, The viewing angle may be a little smaller than some phones (although I didn’t notice this) but it is compensated by the high-quality, juicy display from Sony.
What I didn't like
Frame. The edges on the front panel are easy to damage even without harduz. Washable chrome finish on XPERIA letters.
- Weak battery. Especially when using GPS or LTE.
- After updating the OS to 4.4.4. The keyboard began to freeze and slow down.
- The camera blurs images, especially when shooting in motion.
- Small viewing angles. Color distortion when tilting the display.
- Long GPS startup
What I liked
FHD display - Display/frame size ratio - Lanyard eyelet - Good camera sensitivity.
What I didn't like
1. Screen film is less scratch resistant than Gorilla Glass. I don’t carry my phone in my pocket with my keys and treat it quite carefully. But in the area where the screen is unlocked, where you move your finger more often, micro-scratches have already appeared, visible in the sun. Before this, I used LG with a gorilla for 2 years - not a single scratch!
2. Vibration is weak. In a belt holster you hardly feel it. But the subtle vibration is more pleasant than other phones when you hold it in your hand.
3. When the battery gets hot, charging stops. When you drive a long way in the evening, you may end up running out of battery, despite the fact that you have been “charging” all day. In my car it is located in front of the air conditioner deflector and I have to open it to cool the unit.
What I liked
1. Android 4.2. When purchased, version 4.1 was available, which was immediately updated when connected to the Internet. The transition to a new version of the OS was offered a week after the purchase (I bought it in mid-August), but the transition required a computer. 2. Connecting a smartphone to a computer, at least on Windows 7, is very convenient. By default, it is connected as a digital device, upon entering which you can open the device’s memory or micro SD card. At the same time, the smartphone additionally offers to install PC Companion on your computer. The firewood is installed by itself, without user intervention. You can also enable USB modem or simple flash drive mode. 3. Powerful hardware. In all the applications that I had to run, there are no brakes at all. We can say that everything flies. In this case, the device noticeably heats up in the area of the processor, but this does not cause any particular discomfort. 4. Back cover made of Soft-Touch plastic. Pleasant to the touch and does not slip. The hatch for SIM cards and memory cards is also more convenient to open than the entire back cover. By the way, it is not intended to be opened here. In general, such little things as a color LED indicator, holes for a strap in the lower left corner and completely finished software give a pleasant impression of caring for the user. By the way, most of the pre-installed software can be easily removed. 5. Excellent GPS module. Finds satellites very quickly. Even in a room with windows it catches 5-7 satellites, outdoors in sunny weather 13-16. Fixation occurs quickly and easily. Before this there were many GPS devices, but there were no such sensitive ones yet. 6. Battery. Especially in combination with the proprietary Stamina mode. This is not my first Android smartphone, so I can say with confidence that this gadget’s power system is fine. For a day of unsparing use (a couple of hours in the WiFi router mode, a few calls, 20 minutes of games, hourly checked mail, 2-3 hours of the Agent with ICQ turned on with a small amount of conversations on it, plus a little Internet on the smartphone) 50% is still left.
What I didn't like
Display... viewing angles, contrast
What I liked
High-quality case materials, design, screen size, excellent picture quality
What I didn't like
The battery could have been longer. Screen viewing angles. After reading the reviews on the updates, I’m now wondering whether it’s worth it, although it would be nice to stuff a 64 gig card into it after that. There are still purely Android moments. I haven’t been using it for long, maybe something else will come out in the future.
What I liked
Clear, sharp screen, with good color rendition. Design.
What I didn't like
When zoomed in too close, the photo becomes blurry. The battery lasts a day, although the Internet works almost constantly. Today I almost took it in for repairs due to the fact that the person I was calling couldn’t hear me, I thought the microphone was covered, it turned out that a trash can got into the microphone, I needed a cover because the charging connector was also not closes. The quality of the video is excellent during the day, but it’s too sensitive, you need to shoot with bated breath, otherwise the video will turn out jerky, even though the image stabilizer is turned on. Copied files from the phone’s memory have to be deleted through the device itself, that is, one at a time, it kind of sucks, not really from the memory card, selected and deleted.
What I liked
The quality of the photos is super, only if you don’t do a big zoom, built-in flash, the ability to turn on the backlight when shooting video in the dark, a memory card, I have 16 GB. The charging cord can be used as a wire for transferring information from the phone to the computer.
What I didn't like
Battery quality, overheating, a lot of defects.
What I liked
Fast iron
What I didn't like
The battery is dying before our eyes! A very mediocre camera, I would say none at all. Long search for GPS and WI FI. When exiting any application, the screen ripples.
What I liked
Ergonomics, screen, factory anti-glare film.
What I didn't like
In recent years I have only used Apple, but I wanted variety and took Sony. I did not expect such a trick from a famous company. This is not a smartphone, but a complete joint. First: while watching it in the store, the battery ran out and it turned off, brought it home, and put it on charge. I didn’t want to turn on for about 40-50 minutes until the battery was charged to a certain extent. If the battery runs out at work or on the road, don’t expect that you’ll be able to call back right away, etc., even if it’s possible to charge it. Second: there was a defect - the vibration did not work at all - neither when touching the screen, nor during calls. Then they tried to figure it out in the store, the sellers admitted that it really didn’t work. Third: it was impossible to charge it or connect it to the radio in the car via USB (Apple works without problems). Fourth: the battery “melts” right before your eyes (again, I compare it with all Apple gadgets).
