Review: Sony Xperia TL for AT&T
Screen
Sony makes great displays for its smartphones, and the TL is no different. It boasts a 4.6-inch 1280 x 720 HD display that uses the same BRAVIA Engine found in it Sony's full-sized TVs. It's bright, razor sharp, colorful, and everything looks fantastic on the screen. In order to use it outside, however, I had to turn the brightness all the way up. Once I did, snapping photos or browsing email was easy even under a sunny sky.
Signal
The TL performed well on AT&T's network. I had a chance to travel throughout the Garden State with the device and found that it latched onto AT&T's 3G and 4G LTE networks without issue. I never had any trouble connecting calls or surfing the web. I never lost a call, and the TL never dropped to AT&T's slower EDGE network. I was able to make calls in poor and strong coverage areas with the same success rate.
Sound
Phone calls sounded quite good through the TL's earpiece. I thought conversations sounded clear and were free of static and background noise. The earpiece was loud, but just shy of awesome. It'll work in most environments, but moderately loud places will have you looking for the exit. The speakerphone is another story. It is loud, but sounded distinctly as though I were listening to someone with a sock stuffed in my ear. The ringers and alert tones can be set to good, alert-y volumes, and the vibrate alert is good and strong.
Battery
I had no trouble with the TL's battery life. It easily lasted an entire waking day without issue, even when used in an area covered by AT&T's LTE network. That means 16 to 18 hours of constant use. When in standby mode and used sparingly, it could last for a couple of days. I'd recommend charging it every night, but you shouldn't have to worry about seeking out power before bedtime.
Hands-On: Sony Xperia TL
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Sony Xperia TL
