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The well-appointed Sony Xperia ZL (pictures)

The unlocked Sony Xperia ZL costs a steep $760 but is sleek, has a big, bright screen, plus it snaps high-quality photos.

Brian Bennett
Brian Bennett is a former senior writer for the home and outdoor section at CNET.
Brian Bennett
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1 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Sony ups its smartphone game

Meet the big-screened Xperia ZL. For the unsubsidized price of $760, this unlocked handset offers quite a bit, including a massive 5-inch full-HD screen and an excellent imaging system.
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2 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Unlocking the ZL

You unlock the Xperia ZL by flicking your finger upward. Swiping the camera and music icons to the center of the screen also works and jumps directly to their associated apps.
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3 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Weather when you want it

Onboard the Sony Xperia ZL is a handy weather widget.
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A lovely screen

With a big 5-inch full-HD screen (1,920x1,080 pixels), watching video and viewing photos on the Sony Xperia ZL is very enjoyable.
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A sole headphone port

The top edge of the Sony Xperia ZL holds a lone 3.5mm headphone jack.
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Buttons in a line

The Sony Xperia ZL's right side houses all the phone's physical controls, including volume, power, and a dedicated camera key.
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7 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

A back that's plastic

Unlike the more premium Xperia Z, the Sony Xperia ZL has a plastic back. Also here are the 13MP main camera and LED flash.
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8 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

USB on the left

The left side of the Sony Xperia ZL houses a Micro-USB port for charging and transferring files.
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9 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Peek under the flap

Underneath a flap located on the Xperia ZL's back are slots for microSD and SIM cards.
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A capable camera app

The Sony Xperia ZL's camera app features plenty of shooting modes and extra features.

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