Sony Xperia ZL

Overview

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 21 expert reviews

Excellent:

4
Good:

4
Average:

8
Bad:

5

Pros:

Thin.
Big, bright screen.
Zippy processor.

Cons:

More expensive than other competing unlocked handsets.
Battery life.

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Last revision on January 12, 2015

Reviewers Liked

Thin
Big, bright screen
Zippy processor
Great call quality
Takes excellent pictures

Reviewers Didn't Like

More expensive than other competing unlocked handsets
Battery life
It's camera is sluggish

Expert reviews and ratings

The Xperia ZL is an improvement over the Z, but doesn't shine as brightly next to many of its...

By Engadget on January 17, 2014

The Sony ZL is a good phone, but it is a tough phone to recommend. I wish the hardware were a little bit better, but it's an improvement over Sony's earlier efforts just the same. The dazzling screen certainly impresses, and the ZL was great at...

By Phone Scoop on May 29, 2013

If you're fond of Sony's smartphones and software experience, the Xperia ZL is particularly attractive as a no-contract smartphone. It's fast, the UI is clean and pleasing and the camera is very good. Here in the US, I suspect no-contract high end...

By MobileTechReview on May 28, 2013

The Sony Xperia ZL is almost a great phone. Beautiful screen, attractive design, speedy performance, decent camera. Yet in all of those categories there are a few minor problems that collectively mar the overall experience. Any one of them is...

By Digital Trends on May 24, 2013

Sony Xperia ZL smartphone. The Sony Xperia ZL is not a big surprise - another high-end smartphone from Sony with a 5-inch Full-HD display . The display panel is very bright and has good characteristics, although the black level and the narrow viewing...

By NotebookCheck on May 10, 2013

I rather like the design, which feels modern, if a bit run-of-the-mill. It performs well, serves up plenty of battery life for average use cases, and even has a nice camera once you get used to its limitations (or aren't especially picky). But there are just too many great options out there, and while the Xperia ZL won't disappoint, your money will be better spent elsewhere.

By PCAdvisor on May 09, 2013

It ticks all of the appropriate boxes: large, full-HD display, a camera that's chock full of megapixels, speedy connectivity, and a beefy quad-core Snapdragon processor. But in a world of iPhones ,the HTC One , and the Samsung Galaxy S4 , ticking off all...

By PC Advisor on May 09, 2013

The 2370 mAh Li-Ion battery provides sufficient juice for it to last a normal work day. In our video loop test, it managed to power the device for only 5 hours and 30 minutes. That's disappointing considering the HTC One managed to clock 10 hours with...

By TechTree on May 09, 2013

The Sony Xperia ZL features a superb camera, a 5-inch full HD display and powerful processor for unlocked phone fans, but you don't get enough battery life for your...

By LaptopMag on April 23, 2013

The Xperia ZL is a decent handset, but when you frame it alongside its more premium sibling, the Xperia Z, and other new or forthcoming products, it can't compare. When you're investing hundreds of dollars in a new phone and potentially committing yourself to years of service, why settle for anything less than stellar?

By IGN on April 22, 2013

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