Sony Xperia ZL Now Up for Pre-Order in the US

Sony Mobile Communications recently put the Xperia ZL up for pre-order in the U.S. on the Sony Store. This is just the first step in introducing the premium smartphone to the country, as other select online retailers will soon carry the device, which will also likely be directly available from carriers within the following weeks.

The Xperia ZL is available in two variants currently – the HSPA model and the pricier 4G model, which includes LTE bands 2, 4, 5 and 17, allowing it to connect with the AT&T 4G network.

Otherwise, the two models sport the same top-end specs that allow it to easily compete with upcoming Android flagships, including the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S 4.

Specifically, the Xperia ZL boasts a five-inch full HD (1920 x 1080) Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor clocked at 1.5 GHz, 2GB of RAM and a 13MP Fast Capture camera with an Exmor RS sensor — all in a compact package.

Image via sonymobile.com.

The Xperia ZL is very similar to the Xperia Z, which was also first announced at CES earlier this year, but the ZL lacks the Z's water and dust resistance.

The Xperia ZL's Reality Display and Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 processing leverage Sony's extensive experience manufacturing televisions to offer optimized colors, contrast and clarity. Meanwhile, its Exmor RS is the world's first CMOS image sensor that incorporates a "stacked infrastructure," enabling HDR (high dynamic range) video, enabling users to capture sharp images and videos, even in poor lighting conditions.

Furthermore, the Xperia ZL sports One-touch sharing functions, making it easy for users to share music, photos and videos with a wide range of NFC-enabled Sony devices, from speakers and headphones to TVs. For example, touching an Xperia ZL to the remote control of an NFC-capable Sony BRAVIA TV allows for quick and easy media viewing on a larger display.

Sony has yet to announce an official release date for the Xperia ZL, but it will likely be sometime in April.