Sony adds to its smartphone line-up with the Xperia SP and Xperia L

19 Mar 2013

The range of Xperia SP smartphones

Sony Mobile’s spring line-up now has two new flavours in the form of the Xperia SP and Xperia L smartphones for the more affordable mid-range market.

Both of the new Android devices are 4G-ready and feature bright, clear displays, NFC connectivity, and Battery Stamina mode to extend battery life. They also come with Sony’s latest fast-capture camera features, each offering 8MP and an Exmor RS for mobile sensor and capable of shooting photos and videos in HDR.

The Xperia SP features a 4.6-inch HD Reality Display with Mobile Bravia Engine 2 encased in a co-moulded aluminium frame. The transparent strip at the bottom of the Xperia SP illuminates in various colours, and these can be customised by the user to alert them of incoming calls or texts, or the lights can even just pulse to the beat of music played on the device.

Sony Xperia SP

Sony Xperia SP

The Xperia L’s angled design is more akin to the earlier Xperia T, and this smaller device features a 4.3-inch FWVGA display. This is quite a compromise on Sony’s other models and their dazzling display technology, but the Xperia L could make up for it in price seeing as Sony Mobile has dubbed this its ‘affordable’ offering.

Sony Xperia L

Sony Xperia L

It also features a dedicated camera button (something I felt was missing from the flagship Xperia Z) to take users from standby to shooting in little over a second, even from the lock screen.

Both the Xperia SP and Xperia L will be available in white, red and black, and are due for worldwide release in Q2.

Elaine Burke is the host of For Tech’s Sake, a co-production from Silicon Republic and The HeadStuff Podcast Network. She was previously the editor of Silicon Republic.

editorial@siliconrepublic.com