Handling the Sony Xperia Z and ZL (pictures)

LAS VEGAS--The Sony Xperia Z (left) and the Sony Xperia ZL made their debut today at Sony's CES 2013 press conference. Though both devices have a similar feature set including Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, and 4G LTE, the Xperia Z has is taller, it has a larger battery, and it's fully water resistant.

One of the highlights of the Xperia Z is its 5-inch 1080x1920p full HD Reality display. The Bravia Engine 2 brings sharp clarity and bright and natural colors. Sony used a split screen on the handset to show the difference between using the Bravia Engine (right) and not.

The display also is the viewfinder for the 13-megapixel camera. The shooter supports HD resolution both for still shots and video.

Thanks to covered ports and a secure design, you can fully submerge the Xperia Z and it keeps on ticking.

Sony made a point of enlarging the power button and making it a bright gold color. It also sticks out from the side of the phone, though I wonder if it might catch on your clothing when carrying the phone in a pocket. In this shot you also can see the Xperia Z's slim 7.9mm profile.

Video on the Xperia Z looks great.

I like that the Xperia Z uses the standard Jelly Bean virtual keyboard.

The Xperia Z has an all-glass back cover and sharp corners and edges.

In contrast, the the ZL has a traditional textured back cover with curved sides.

Thanks to the Xperia Z's NFC support, you can stream music to this new Sony desktop speaker.