Sony Xperia L4 Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

Welcome to my review of the Sony Xperia L4, a smartphone released in April 2020. The Xperia L4 is a budget-friendly device that offers a range of features and specifications that are designed to appeal to users who are looking for a phone that can handle their everyday needs without breaking the bank. As we approach the halfway mark of 2023, it's interesting to take a closer look at this device and how it has held up over time.

Design and Build Quality

The Sony Xperia L4 features a design that is sleek and modern, offering a premium look and feel. With its slim form factor and dimensions of 159 x 71 x 8.7 mm (6.26 x 2.80 x 0.34 in), it is relatively portable and easy to hold. The device weighs 178 g (6.28 oz), striking a balance between lightness and sturdiness.

The smartphone is built with a combination of glass front, plastic back, and a plastic frame. This choice of materials allows for a more affordable price point while maintaining a pleasing aesthetic. The back panel has a smooth texture that enhances grip and prevents accidental slips.

The Xperia L4 incorporates well-placed buttons and controls, ensuring ease of use and convenience. The bezels surrounding the 6.2-inch IPS LCD display are slim, providing a more immersive viewing experience. The construction and fit and finish of the device are of good quality, contributing to its overall durability.

While the Xperia L4 may not have the same premium materials as higher-end devices, it still offers a robust and reliable build. The device's design elements and finishing touches add a touch of elegance, making it visually appealing. Its ergonomic design allows for comfortable one-handed usability, enhancing the user experience.

Overall, the Sony Xperia L4 presents a well-designed and well-built smartphone that combines aesthetics, durability, and functionality in a sleek package. Its premium look and feel, along with its sturdy construction, make it an attractive option for those seeking a reliable and stylish device.

Display

The Sony Xperia L4 features a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display with a screen resolution of 720 x 1680 pixels and an aspect ratio of 21:9. The screen size is quite generous, providing ample space for content consumption and multitasking. Although the resolution may not be as high as some other smartphones, it still offers a decent pixel density of approximately 295 ppi.

When it comes to display technology, the Xperia L4 utilizes IPS LCD, which generally offers good color accuracy and wide viewing angles. While it may not have the vibrant colors and deep blacks of OLED displays, it still delivers satisfactory color vibrancy and clarity.

In terms of brightness levels, the Xperia L4 provides adequate visibility both indoors and outdoors, ensuring that the screen remains visible even under direct sunlight. Additionally, the device offers touch responsiveness, allowing for smooth and seamless navigation.

To protect the display from scratches and damage, the Xperia L4 is equipped with a durable glass front. However, it does not specifically mention the presence of Gorilla Glass for added protection.

The Xperia L4 does not offer any high-end display features such as HDR or a wide color gamut. Nevertheless, it provides a satisfactory viewing experience for everyday use.

The device does not have a notch design, instead opting for traditional bezels on the top and bottom of the display. This design may not be as modern or edge-to-edge as some other smartphones, but it still offers a decent screen-to-body ratio, allowing for a comfortable viewing area.

Overall, the Sony Xperia L4's display offers a good balance of size, resolution, and color accuracy, making it suitable for regular usage and media consumption.

Performance

The Sony Xperia L4 offers a decent performance for its price range. Powered by the Mediatek MT6762 Helio P22 chipset, which features an octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU and PowerVR GE8320 GPU, this smartphone provides a satisfactory level of performance for everyday tasks and light gaming.

In terms of CPU performance, the Xperia L4 performs adequately for its category. It handles multitasking well, allowing users to switch between apps smoothly. App loading speeds are generally good, ensuring a seamless user experience. The processor's efficiency also contributes to a longer battery life, which is essential for extended usage.

When it comes to gaming capabilities, the Xperia L4 performs adequately, although it may not be the best choice for demanding games with high graphics requirements. The PowerVR GE8320 GPU delivers satisfactory graphics scores and gaming benchmarks, providing a smooth gaming experience for casual gamers. However, it may struggle with more graphics-intensive games, resulting in lower frame rates and reduced visual quality.

The Xperia L4's system optimization and thermal management contribute to its overall performance. The device manages to maintain a lag-free performance even during extended usage periods. The thermal management ensures that the smartphone doesn't overheat, preventing any performance throttling or discomfort during intensive tasks.

Benchmark tests indicate that the Xperia L4's performance aligns with other devices in its price range. While it may not outperform higher-end smartphones, it offers a reliable performance for everyday use. Synthetic benchmarks provide a quantitative measure of its performance metrics, showcasing its capabilities within its segment.

To summarize, the Sony Xperia L4 delivers a satisfactory performance for its price range. Its MediaTek chipset provides a decent CPU and GPU performance, allowing for smooth multitasking and casual gaming. While it may not excel in demanding gaming scenarios, it offers a smooth user experience for everyday tasks. The Xperia L4's system optimization and thermal management ensure a lag-free performance and comfortable usage. Overall, it is a reliable option for users seeking a budget-friendly smartphone with decent performance.

Software and User Interface

The Sony Xperia L4 runs on the Android 9.0 (Pie) operating system, which offers a user-friendly interface and a smooth user experience. With its customization options, users can personalize their device according to their preferences. The software provides a range of features and functionalities, making it a versatile smartphone.

One notable aspect of the software is the minimal amount of pre-installed apps or bloatware. This ensures that users have more storage space and can choose which apps they want to install, rather than being burdened with unnecessary applications. It also allows for a cleaner and more streamlined user interface.

The Xperia L4 offers a range of useful features such as a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, proximity sensor, and compass. These sensors enhance the overall user experience and provide added convenience in various situations.

Additionally, the device supports NFC (Near Field Communication), which enables users to make contactless payments and easily transfer files between compatible devices. This feature enhances the connectivity options available to users.

With a USB Type-C 2.0 port, the Xperia L4 offers fast data transfer and charging capabilities. The inclusion of USB Power Delivery ensures efficient charging of the device's 3580mAh non-removable battery.

Overall, the software of the Sony Xperia L4 provides a smooth and user-friendly experience, allowing users to customize their device to their liking. The minimal pre-installed apps and useful features contribute to a streamlined interface, making it a reliable choice for those seeking a versatile smartphone.

Camera

The Sony Xperia L4 comes with a triple camera setup that offers versatile photography capabilities. The main camera features a 13-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and a focal length of 26mm, allowing for detailed and sharp images. It also has phase detection autofocus (PDAF) for quick and accurate focusing. The secondary 5-megapixel ultrawide camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 17mm focal length is ideal for capturing wide-angle shots, making it perfect for landscape or group photography. Additionally, there is a 2-megapixel depth sensor that assists in creating impressive bokeh effects in portrait mode. The camera setup is capable of recording videos in 1080p at 30fps, ensuring smooth and high-quality footage. With features like LED flash, HDR, and panorama mode, users can enhance their photography experience and capture stunning shots in various lighting conditions. The Sony Xperia L4's camera also performs well in low-light situations, thanks to its low-light sensitivity and noise reduction capabilities. Whether you're taking photos during the day or night, this smartphone's camera offers a range of features and settings to cater to your photography needs.

Battery Life

The Sony Xperia L4 is equipped with a non-removable Li-Ion 3580 mAh battery, which provides a decent battery life. With its power-efficient components and optimization features, the device offers good battery performance. The battery capacity is sufficient to support moderate usage throughout the day. However, heavy users may find the need to charge the device before the day ends. The Xperia L4 supports USB Power Delivery for charging, which ensures a relatively fast charging speed. The device does not support wireless charging options. To enhance battery life, the Xperia L4 features a battery saver mode and efficient battery management. Users can expect a satisfactory battery backup and endurance from this device. Overall, the battery of the Sony Xperia L4 offers a reliable performance for everyday use.

Connectivity and Networking

The Sony Xperia L4 offers a range of connectivity options to keep you connected wherever you go. It supports GSM, HSPA, and LTE network compatibility, ensuring fast and reliable data speeds. With its dual SIM capability, you can use two SIM cards simultaneously for added convenience.

When it comes to wireless connectivity, the Xperia L4 has Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n support, allowing you to connect to both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks. This enables you to take advantage of faster and more stable internet connections. Bluetooth 5.0 is also available, offering improved range and faster data transfer speeds for seamless wireless communication with other devices.

For easy file transfer and charging, the Xperia L4 features a USB Type-C 2.0 port. This versatile port allows for faster data transfer and charging compared to older USB standards. Additionally, NFC technology is onboard, enabling quick and convenient pairing with compatible devices and contactless payments.

When it comes to navigation, the Xperia L4 has GPS and GLONASS support, ensuring accurate location tracking. This is particularly useful when using navigation apps or geolocation-based services. The device also includes an FM radio, which lets you tune in to your favorite radio stations on the go.

Overall, the Sony Xperia L4 provides a solid range of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, USB-C, and GPS. Whether you need to connect to the internet, transfer files, or navigate to your destination, the Xperia L4 has you covered.

Additional Features

• Standout Features: The Sony Xperia L4 offers a sleek and modern design with a large 6.2-inch display and a 21:9 aspect ratio, providing an immersive viewing experience. It also features a triple rear camera setup, including a wide-angle lens and depth sensor, allowing users to capture stunning photos with various perspectives. The device is equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for convenient and secure unlocking.

• Water and Dust Resistance: Unfortunately, the Sony Xperia L4 does not come with any official water or dust resistance rating, making it vulnerable to damage in wet or dusty environments.

• Wireless Charging: The Sony Xperia L4 does not support wireless charging, so users will need to rely on traditional charging methods using the USB Type-C port.

• Advanced Sensors: In addition to the fingerprint sensor, the Xperia L4 features essential sensors such as an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and compass. However, it lacks advanced sensors like a gyroscope or environmental sensors.

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Sony Xperia L4 is a mid-range smartphone that boasts a sleek design and decent specifications. When comparing it to related gadgets in the market, it becomes clear that it faces tough competition from other phones in its price range.

One such competitor is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9. Both phones offer similar screen sizes and resolutions, but the Redmi Note 9 has a slightly better processor and more RAM options. Additionally, the Redmi Note 9 features a quad-camera setup, whereas the Xperia L4 only has a triple-camera setup.

Another competitor is the Samsung Galaxy A21s. Similar to the Xperia L4, the A21s has a large display and a triple-camera setup. However, the A21s offers a larger battery capacity and more storage options. It also runs on a newer version of Android.

In terms of market positioning, the Xperia L4 is positioned as a budget-friendly option with a focus on multimedia consumption. Its 21:9 aspect ratio and dual speakers make it ideal for watching movies and videos. However, when compared to other phones in its price range, the Xperia L4 falls short in terms of performance and camera capabilities.

In terms of specifications, the Xperia L4 features a MediaTek Helio P22 processor and 3GB of RAM. While it may be sufficient for everyday tasks, it may struggle with more demanding apps and games. Additionally, its 64GB of internal storage can be limiting for those who need more space for media files and apps.

When it comes to pricing, the Xperia L4 is priced at around 200 EUR, which is competitive for a mid-range device. However, given its specifications and performance, it may not offer the best value for money compared to other phones in the market.

Overall, while the Xperia L4 has its unique features and design, it faces tough competition from other phones in its price range. Its performance and camera capabilities may not be on par with its competitors, making it a less attractive option for those looking for a mid-range smartphone.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Sony Xperia L4 offers a decent package for its price range. It boasts a large 6.2-inch display with a narrow 21:9 aspect ratio, providing an immersive viewing experience. The triple rear camera setup captures decent photos, and the 8MP front camera does a satisfactory job for selfies. The phone is powered by a reliable MediaTek chipset and comes with 3GB of RAM, ensuring smooth performance for day-to-day tasks. The 64GB of internal storage is expandable, which is a plus. However, the phone runs on Android 9.0 Pie, which may disappoint those looking for the latest software. Overall, the Sony Xperia L4 is a reasonable choice for budget-conscious buyers seeking a reliable device with a large display and decent photography capabilities.