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Sony reveals new Xperia SP and Xperia L mid-range Jelly Bean smartphones

Keen to show that it won’t only be catering for the high-end market this year, Sony has revealed two new and more affordable Android Jelly Bean phones in the shape of the Xperia SP and Xperia L.

Joining the flagship Xperia Z and Xperia ZL models will be these two new kids on the block, both sporting familiar Sony designs but smaller price tags. Out of the two the Xperia SP is undoubtedly the more exciting, rocking a set of specs that matches Sony’s top-end phones from last year, showing just how quickly the smartphone world progresses.

Both phones run Android Jelly Bean 4.1 rather than the very latest version 4.2, although that’s no bad thing. The Xperia SP is the larger of the two, rocking a 4.6-inch 720p HD display and a speedy dual-core processor from Qualcomm that’s clocked at 1.7GHz.

On the back you have an 8 megapixel camera, with 8GB of internal storage, 4G and NFC connectivity rounding up an impressive spec sheet for a phone that’s going to be classed as ‘mid-range’. It features a design that’s very similar to the Xperia Z, with Sony’s clear and customisable LED notification bar also tacked on at the bottom, akin to the Xperia S. In fact, a year ago a phone with this specification would have gotten a massive launch and would be Sony’s high-end phone.

The Xperia L is this year’s Xperia J from what we can tell, rocking a similar curvy design that looks very palm-friendly. The idea behind this phone is to provide an affordable phone that still has a good camera, which is usually an area where phone manufacturers will sacrifice quality for affordability. The Xperia L keeps Sony’s excellent 8 megapixel sensor, the very same one as on the more pricey Xperia SP.

With a decent camera on board it seems that other areas have faced cut backs, such as the 4.30-inch display which offers a meagre 854 x 480 resolution. Inside there’s a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, NFC, 8GB of storage and 3G connectivity. You also get a micro SD slot to expand upon the internal storage.

Both the Xperia SP and Xperia L will hit Europe and Asia before the end of June. Prices aren’t yet confirmed.