Sony Unveils Xperia SP, Xperia L Smartphones

The Xperia SP and Xperia L will both be available worldwide from the second quarter of 2013.

Consumer electronics giant Sony added two models to its Xperia line of mobile devices, the Xperia SP smartphone, which features a 4.6-inch HD Reality Display, and the Xperia L smartphone, a midmarket handset that offers a dual-core processor and Stamina mode for enhanced battery life.

The Xperia SP boasts a precision-crafted aluminum frame and employs the company’s latest Mobile Bravia Engine 2, which analyzes the user’s content type and adjusts the image automatically. The engine will make the adjustment by adding new real-time contrast optimization to the sharpness enhancement, high-quality color management and noise reduction.

Other features include near field communication (NFC) capability, 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) connectivity, a “transparent element” that can be personalized to change color when notifying the user of all incoming messages and calls, an 8-megapixel camera with high dynamic range (HDR) technology and Stamina mode for the battery. The handset will be available in white, red and black versions.

The Xperia L offers a slightly smaller, non-HD 4.3-inch display and a sophisticated 8-megapixel camera with Exmor RS mobile sensor technology for improved colors and picture clarity. The handset also features a dedicated camera key that goes from sleep to snap in just over a second, even from a locked screen. The Xperia L is also available in red, white and black color schemes.

Also featured on both models are Sony's One-touch functions, allowing users to play multimedia content across an array of devices, such as Sony's SRS-BTV5 speaker and a range of NFC-enabled Bravia TVs. The Xperia SP and Xperia L will both be available worldwide from the second quarter of 2013, a company release said.

On the app side, the Walkman suite of applications provides online and offline content through a single access point. The Walkman application provides access to downloaded music, plus Music Unlimited with more than 18 million songs, and Facebook social integration. The Movies application offers consumers access to more than 100,000 movies and TV series from Video Unlimited, while the Album application enables access to Facebook friends' photos as well as browsing photos by location.

"Xperia SP and Xperia L are ideally suited for those seeking stylish, class-leading smartphones that don't compromise on features,” Calum MacDougall, director of Xperia marketing at Sony Mobile Communications, said in a statement. "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."

The two handsets join Sony’s flagship Xperia Z smartphone, which made its debut in January and features a 5-inch full high-definition 1080p Reality Display powered by Mobile Bravia Engine 2. The device also features a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, a 13-megapixel fast-capture camera, tempered glass and anti-shatter film on the front and back, and high levels of dust and water resistance.