The Xperia Z is Sony’s flagship device for the first part of this year, but they’re also expected to release a range of low and mid-range devices to provide a broader swathe of options for potential buyers. These lower end smartphones have started to appear for pre-order at UK retailers before they’ve been officially announced. According to these retailers, including LamdaTek and Micro Aid, Sony will be adding the Xperia SP and Xperia L to their lineup.
The Xperia SP will cost £310 (€390), making it the mid-range option. The Xperia L will be the low-range option, coming in at £220 (€270). For comparison, the top of the line Xperia Z costs about £500 (€625).
According to Xperia Blog, the Xperia SP will come with a Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, a 4.55″ display at 1280 x 720, an 8 megapixel camera and 8 GB of internal storage augmented via a microSD slot. The chassis will be made of aluminium, making for a sturdy build we imagine.
The Xperia L will offer lower specifications – a 4.3″ 854 x 480 display, a 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, an 8 megapixel camera and the same storage options – 8 GB internally plus microSD expansion. The phone will come with a 1,700 mAh battery.
It’s interesting to see how quickly components are moving from flagship to mid-range and even low-end smartphones. For example, 8 megapixel cameras were the domain of flagships last year, and now appear in a mobile half the price. Dual-core processors are also now essential even for the slowest phones, allowing app developers to develop more intensive apps with confidence.
We’ll get more information on these phones once they have been officially announced. With this pre-order information appearing, a proper release can’t be too far away.