Sony’s Xperia L1 is a Solid Yet Uninspired Midrange Smartphone

In news you don’t hear everyday, Sony has released a new “midrange” smartphone called the Xperia L1. The company hasn’t come up with a new mid-range phone for quite some time and it shows, as the inspiration appears to have come from the top dogs of the smartphone industry in terms of both design and features.

Design and Display

The Xperia L1 boasts a striking metal finish in a 8.7mm body which comes in Black, White and Pink colors. The display employs a large 5.5” IPS LCD panel at 720p resolution. This is similar to Samsung’s Galaxy A3 2017 (720p screen) and Huawei’s P8 Lite.

Internals and Storage

Under the hood you get a 1.4 GHz quad-core Mediatek MT6737T processor with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage. A microSD card slot is included and allows memory cards of up to 256 GB size.

The OS is Android 7.0 Nougat, customized with features such as ‘Do not disturb’ mode and ‘Xperia Actions’, which customize your profile based on your location.

Camera, Battery and Price

The primary camera boasts a 13 MP sensor with an LED flash and is coupled with a 5 MP shooter on the front. Both of these are limited to 1080p video only.

The 2620 mAh battery in the Xperia L1 supports fast charging and connectivity features include the reversible USB Type-C port as well as LTE, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0.

Surprisingly, the Xperia L1 is quite cheap for a Sony phone and starts at just $210. It will be released in late April this year.

Sony Xperia L1 Specifications

• CPU: 64-bit 1.4 GHz quad-core Cortex A-53
• Chipset: MediaTek MT6737T
• OS: Android 7.0 Nougat; customized
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
• Display:
  • 5.5” IPS LCD display with 720p (1280 x 720) resolution
• Memory:
  • RAM: 2 GB
  • Internal: 16 GB
  • Card slot: yes, up to 256 GB
• Camera:
  • Primary: 13 MP, f/2.2, autofocus, LED flash, HDR
  • Secondary: 5 MP, f/2.2
• Connectivity: USB Type-C, Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX, NFC, GPS, LTE
• Battery: 2620 mAh with adaptive charging
• Price: $210