Sony Xperia Z (Rumours) vs Sony Xperia ZL (Rumours)

Two of Sony’s forthcoming Xperia devices have been revealed as the Xperia Z and the Xperia ZL. We take a look at this pair of premium handsets to figure out which is the more enticing option.

Form

Sony Xperia Z – TBA
Sony Xperia ZL - TBA

We’ve seen leaked product renders of the Xperia Z and as with Sony’s previous models in the range the aesthetic has been tweaked and adjusted slightly from that of its predecessors, but at its core it remains consistently recognisable as an Xperia device.

The overall shape is very angular and slab-like, which is fairly typical of larger-screened ‘phablet’ handsets and not far removed from other Xperia models such as the Xperia S.

Leaks suggest the Xperia Z will sport a unibody chassis with a slightly curved back panel and it should be available in a range of colours.

The clear plastic band from older Xperias appears to be gone but some of the renders indicate a more discreet blue LED bar embedded in the lower front panel.

Dimensions are yet to be revealed but from several shots the handset looks to be reasonably thick and could have a fair bit of weight to it as other 5-inch phones have done before.

Proportionally, the section of front bodywork below the display is slightly larger than the one above, although this isn’t to house capacitive controls as the handset uses on-screen touch controls with Android Jelly Bean. The bezel on either side of the screen appears to be very thin indeed.

The Xperia ZL is slightly shorter with more rounded corners and a narrower bezel. Reports have indicated the Xperia ZL is thicker than the Xperia Z and will feature a textured back panel. It’s expected to be a unibody handset but will apparently have a small trapdoor for microSD access.

With the ZL we also know the front-facing camera will be in a slightly odd location – the bottom right corner of the front panel.

Side-by-side the Xperia ZL is the more attractive of the two.

Winner – Sony Xperia ZL

Display

Both handsets are reportedly toting 5-inch capacitive displays, most likely LCDs as this is Sony we’re talking about, though precisely what type isn’t yet known. We’d guess SLCD2 (or SLCD3) or some kind of enhanced IPS is fairly likely.

Sony’s Mobile Bravia engine is pretty much a given even though it hasn’t been officially mentioned and we know both screens will sport 1920x1080 pixel HD resolutions at 441 pixels-per-inch (ppi).

You can expect some pretty fantastic visual quality from these phones, though this kind of setup may fast become the standard in 2013 if industry predictions prove correct.

Regardless, there won’t be a difference between these two handsets.

Winner – Draw

Storage

The Sony Xperia Z will have 16GB of internal storage built-in along with microSD capability for cards up to 32GB.

Its bigger brother, the Xperia ZL, will have the same setup but also a higher-tier option for 32GB of onboard capacity.

Winner- Sony Xperia ZL