Sony Mobile has today announced two new Xperia-branded smartphones aimed at mid-range and budget customers.
The Xperia SP and Xperia L join the flagship Xperia Z in Sony’s 2013 smartphone lineup.
The new Xperia handsets share design principles with the Xperia Z, being slim, tall and well built, although they are not waterproof and dust-proof as with their bigger brother.
Both phones have 8-megapixel cameras and run Google Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), but the Xperia SP has a larger and more high quality screen than the Xperia L, along with 4G LTE connectivity.
The Xperia SP comes with a 4.6-inch HD Reality Display (1280×720 pixels), boosted by Sony’s Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 that analyses the content being viewed, and adjusts the image quality accordingly.
Encased in a precision-crafted co-moulded aluminium frame, the Xperia SP is designed to be both sleek and solid.
Aimed more at the budget end of the market, the Xperia L has a 1 GHz Qualcomm MSM8230 dual-core processor and a 1700 mAh battery powering the handset.
Users get a 4.3-inch FWVGA display (854×480 pixels) and a 8-megapixel fast-capture camera with “Exmor RS for mobile” and HDR, among other features.
“Xperia SP and Xperia L are ideally suited for those seeking stylish class-leading smartphones that don’t compromise on features,” said Calum MacDougall, the director of Xperia marketing at Sony Mobile Communications.
“Both of our new models benefit from Sony’s proven innovation and engineering expertise – whether you want to enjoy premium HD quality entertainment over 4G LTE on our mid-range Xperia SP or capture every moment in perfect detail with our more affordable Xperia L.”
Both the Xperia SP and Xperia L come with 8GB of memory, although only 5.8 GB is accessible to the user. Storage can be boosted to 32GB via microSD card.
Available in white, red and black colour variations, the Xperia SP and Xperia L will launch worldwide in the second quarter of 2013. Pricing has not yet been announced by Sony.
Weighing 155 grams and 9.98mm thick, the SP has a colour-changing ‘transparent element’ at the base that can support customisable illuminations to alert the user to incoming calls and text messages, or pulse to the beat of their favourite music.
Users get 4G LTE connectivity for superfast mobile internet, and also “One-touch” NFC functions for displaying content on a TV, or sharing music and photos between devices.
Powered by a 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Dual Core processor, the SP has a 8MP fast-capture camera with “Exmor RS for mobile”, HDR and Superior Auto features for the capturing great photos in different light conditions.
Sony’s Battery STAMINA Mode is there to get maximum value out of the Xperia SP’s 2,300 mAh battery.
