While some onlookers are still recovering from the Broadway show-style spectacle of Last week´s Samsung smarthphone launch., it turns out that Sony was waiting in the wings, preparing to quietly release its own new set of feature-rich smartphones. Today the company took the wraps off its latest offerings, dubbed the Xperia SP and Xperia L.
The two new phones, described as mid-range (SP) and affordable (L) by Sony in terms of cost, join Sony’s Xperia Z and Xperia ZL, the high-end smartphones revealed earlier this year at CES. According to the company, the 4.6-inch 720p display on the new Xperia SP was developed using the same engineering might behind the Sony Bravia line of high-definition televisions.
In addition to the enhanced screen resolution, the company has included a design feature called a “transparent element.” This is essentially a tiny strip of light at the bottom of the phone that can be set to display different colors indicating any number functions, such as an incoming phone call or email, or it can be programmed to pulsate in conjunction with the rhythm of the music playing on the phone.
As for the Xperia L, despite its status as the low-cost entry and lower resolution 4.3-inch screen, the phone does boast the ability to take HDR (High Dynamic Range) video. Both Android phones offer wireless syncing and content sharing with Sony’s Bravia line of televisions via NFC, giving the devices secondary functions as smart television accessories. Both smartphones come with Sony apps called Walkman, Album, and Movies, a pre-loaded software suite that allows the user to consume and share a vast library of multimedia content.
These phones may not have next-gen features like eye tracking or touchless operation, but they nevertheless appear to offer what will be wallet-conscious, yet design-friendly avenues for those looking to try polished Android smartphone alternatives to Samsung’s popular line of handsets.
Although pricing for the devices has not been revealed, Sony says the phones will be available sometime in the second quarter of this year
