Sony Xperia L4: Release date, price, specs and everything else you need to know

Sony was expected to make its big smartphone announcements at Mobile World Congress – the largest mobile technology conference of the year. The event has been canceled this year, however, so Sony is making a change to its usual release schedule and has unveiled the latest iteration in its budget handset lineup – the Xperia L4.

You might think that’s rather odd when you consider that last year’s Xperia L3 – which was a mildly competent low-priced handset – only launched four months ago. Regardless of whether this might be a bit too soon or not, there’s a new Sony phone on the horizon. Here’s everything you need to know about the Sony Xperia L4, including price, release date, specs and special features.

Sony Xperia L4: Everything you need to know

Sony Xperia L4 release date: When will it launch?

Unfortunately, we only have a vague timeframe on when we can expect the Xperia L4 to launch in the UK. Sony tells us that the Xperia L4 will arrive in “early spring”, so we should expect to see the phone show up in shops in March or April this year.

During a pre-launch briefing, Sony was asked whether the recent coronavirus outbreak might delay the Xperia L4’s production, but a Sony representative declined to comment. We will update this article if the Xperia L4’s release window changes.

Sony Xperia L4 price: How much will it cost?

Unfortunately, the Xperia L4’s launch price isn’t set in stone either. Sony hasn’t officially released information about the Xperia L4’s pricing at this time, but we could take an educated guess based on the specifications and the price of last year’s phone.

The Xperia L3 cost £169 when it launched in November last year, but it’s since dropped down to around £150. I shouldn’t expect the Xperia L4 to cost more than £200, especially as Sony is insisting that the phone is an “entry-level” model in its marketing.

Sony Xperia L4 specifications and features: What’s inside?

Finally, now’s the time to talk about what we do know about the Xperia L4. Specs-wise, the most important new addition is the 21:9 aspect ratio screen, which is the first time we’ve seen a long-tall display like this one make an appearance on a budget handset.

Like we’ve previously seen with Sony’s flagship devices, Sony says this is ideal for multi-tasking – running two apps side-by-side – and viewing 21:9 aspect Netflix films without pesky black bars above and below the screen. As for the specifics, the LCD display measures 6.2in across the diagonal, with a resolution of 1,680 x 720 (HD+).

The Xperia L4 has an upgrade in the camera department, too. It now comes equipped with a total of three rear cameras; there’s a 13-megapixel main camera unit, 2-megapixel depth sensor and a new 5-megapixel wide-angle camera for squeezing more stuff in the frame. The front of the phone has an 8-megapixel selfie camera, which is embedded in a centrally-placed teardrop notch above the screen.

As for the internals, here is where you start to see evidence of Sony’s dramatic cost-cutting practices. The Xperia L4 is powered by a reasonably weak MediaTek MT6762 Helio P22 processor, which is exactly the same chipset as last year’s Xperia L3. The Xperia L4 also has 3GB of RAM, but Sony has doubled the internal storage to 64GB, which can also be expanded.

The Xperia L4 also has a larger battery, at 3,580mAh capacity, which is good considering the increase in screen size will likely make an impact on battery life. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor also returns, along with the 3.5mm headphone socket. Finally, as for colours, the Xperia L4 can be purchased in either black or blue.