What’s the difference between the Sony Xperia M and Xperia L?

Sony Xperia M & Xperia L – What’s the difference?

In this comparison we’ll be taking a look at the differences between these two budget Xperia handsets.

Naturally both handsets are aimed towards the low end user – but both the Xperia M & L possess some notable features. With many Xperia siblings available on the market in can get all too confusing when trying to decide between devices, so the aim of this post is to help you work out which handset is best suited to your needs and of course what the main differences are between these two Xperia handsets.

Main differences at a glance:

Screen Size – The M has a 4-inch display whereas the L is slightly bigger at 4.3-inches
Camera – The L has an 8MP camera compared to that of the M at just 5MP
Internal Storage – The M has 4GB less memory out of the box
Weight – The M is over 20g lighter than the L

Jump to: Processor, Memory, Display, Camera , Battery, Size & Weight, Price, Conclusion, Video Comparison, Spec Comparison,

Processor

Both the M & L are powered by 1Ghz Dual Core processors with the L having the slightly better system chip with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8230, although this is hardly noticeable when it comes to overall performance.

Both handsets have the exact same graphics processor with Adreno 305 installed along with 1GB of RAM.

There’s not much to choose between the two here, both are regarded as being fairly low end when considering the processors.

Memory

This could be a major deciding factor between the two as the 8GB internal storage of the Xperia L (right screenshot) doubles that of the Xperia M‘s 4GB.

This however is not the end of the world as both the M & L have MicroSD card slots giving you the option to expand the memory up to 32GB.

Whilst it’s advertised as having 4GB, the M only gives you 2GB of user-accessible storage, meaning that you’d have to keep your app use to a minimum especially as apps cannot be moved across to the SD card anymore – definitely a point to consider if you are a heavy app user.

Display

Another key point to consider is the screen size. The M is considered to have an extremely small screen for a smartphone on today’s market, one of the smallest available in fact at just 4-inches.

The L comes in at a slightly more respectable size of 4.3-inches. Generally the quality of both displays doesn’t give you much to shout about but you wouldn’t expect anything too extravagant when taking the price point into consideration.

Both handsets have a similar PPI and a resolution of 850 x 480 pixels so your decision would be based mainly on the screen size.

Camera

The Xperia M features a 5MP camera (2592×1944 pixels) with autofocus and LED flash, whereas the Xperia L features an 8MP Camera (3264×2448 pixels) with autofocus and LED flash amongst some other added features that include: Sony Exmor RS for mobile image sensor, face/smile detection, HDR for both video and film, sweep panorama mode.

However, in our testing with samples photos the results were quite surprising.

If you take a look at the images below you’ll find that the Xperia M images appear to be somewhat superior . The colours are richer and I’d go as far to say that the M picks up more detail, which is odd when you take both camera specs into account.

Sony Xperia M sample images:

Sony Xperia L sample images:

Battery

Both handsets come with a Li-Ion 1750 mAh battery which provides enough power for a full day’s use.

The smaller screen size on the Xperia M means that it offers slightly better battery life but in all practicality this only translates into a couple of extra hours.

Overall the two handsets are pretty similar in terms of power and battery life.

Size/Weight

The Xperia L is slightly taller and bulkier than the M and weighs approximately 22g more.

This isn’t a huge difference but when side by side the M definitely looks lighter with the L looking slightly more robust as a handset on the whole.

Price

The Xperia M is listed @ £163.00 (£195.00 inc. VAT) and the Xperia L is slightly higher at £190.00 (£228.00 inc. VAT).

So we’re looking at a difference of £27 which really isn’t much especially when we’re considering some of the key differences.

Conclusion

Choosing between these two Xperia handsets wouldn’t be the easiest decision seeing as they are so similar. Surprisingly the Xperia M came out on top in terms of camera functionality but then for the small difference of £27 you can opt for the Xperia L that has twice the storage and a larger screen.

The Xperia M is cheaper and daintier which may appeal to somebody who isn’t a heavy user and would like something small to slip into a bag or pocket for that matter, not forgetting the camera which is great value for money.

Whatever choice you make you’ll be sure that a bargain is in the offing – at similar price points the Xperia M & L offer some pleasant features for an extremely competitive price.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE XPERIA M HERE

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE XPERIA L HERE