Sony Xperia L1 SIM-Free 16GB Smartphone - Black

Sony L1 unlocked single sim phone purchased for my hubby after a year of trying to convince him he needed a new phone to replace his old Windows Phone which was on its way out with regards to support/updates and on charge more than off charge! This phone seemed a good beginners phone for someone not familiar with Android and frightened of it. It also gave me the opportunity to familiarise him with my XZ Premium phone on the basics before the L1 arrived. After not wanting to change his phone ever because he liked the one he already had, after only a few weeks he now says the L1 is the best phone he's had and wishes he'd changed sooner. There you go, sometimes you just need to take the plunge.As another reviewer pointed out, this phone does take a nano sim card, so those who purchase this phone, if not already using a nano sim, need to contact their Service Provider to supply a new. Having read details and reviews we were ready and waiting with a new sim card before the phone arrived so we could set up straight away.Having purchased another Sony phone in the last year, it seemed pretty straight forward. No info in the box, but that is quite common these days, but the Xperia Assistant on the phone directs as part of the set-up process. It does tell you you can transfer all your old phone stuff from Windows Phones to Android or from Android-to-Android. However the option to transfer from Windows was fiddly as not an automatic transfer; I had to do a bit of Google research on how to do this successfully. Thankfully we will never go back to using a Windows phone so will never be a problem again the hard work is done now.The phone doesn't have a lot of memory and it is taken up with apps that you may not need (and can only disable and not remove), but I've just put in the memory card from the previous phone and bulked it up.For beginners, you can customise it so everything you use is on the main screen.The phone comes pre-loaded with free AVG anti-virus, though we chose to boost this up with a paid-for app similar to our laptop and tablet as you can never be too careful.Not being a high phone user the battery will lasts anywhere between 2-3 days. The charger that came in the box consists of a USB cable that connects to a separate plug. So you can use the USB to plug into your laptop and charge via that if it is switched on, or alternatively you can put the plug on one end of the USB cable and use a regular wall plug socket.Switch on/off is quick and the operating is pretty good too and doesn't seem to have any lags. Surfing the internet and opening webpages is quick.As it is more of an entry level phone, there isn't a scanner on or finger recognition (nor does it come with any earphones/buds). You get what you pay for, and for most people they don't really want all the fancy additions. The camera pixels forward face and back are very good. There does seem to be a bit of a delay when pressing the button to take a photo and it actually taking the photo. My XZ is the same so may be a common and normal for all Sony phones across their whole range. It does not cause a problem once you know and adapt.Phone size isn't too small or too big and fits in the hand comfortably. Screen is very clear and the colours are excellent. I purchased the OMOTON Screen Protectors for this phone to prevent damage. A must-have if you drop your phone. The tempered glass of the protectors mean not only do they fit snug on the screen, the smooth glass ensures that you can glide across the screen without any drag or sticking (no need for a stylus). Combined this set-up with a Terrepin Black/Tan full case (all purchased from Amazon) to make the phone safe from damage.Overall the phone is easy to use. From out of the box to in-use it was approximately 1 hour. All the apps required were downloaded from PlayStore, email set up, personalisation, etc. Had I not had the issue with transferring from Windows and having to Google the procedure, it wouldn't have taken that long at all.Based on my experience with hubby's phone. If I could turn the clock back for myself, I probably wouldn't have been a phone-snob and bought my XZ Premium model and would have purchased this L1 instead as it has all the features I need and excellent value for money.I understand that this phone is being discontinued. So if anyone is looking for a phone that doesn't want all the fancy stuff, but good in every other respect, go for this phone while it is still available. I don't think you will be disappointed.

My initial impression of the Sony Xperia L1 is very good, it is a great value for money budget smartphone. I purchased the unlocked single nano sim version. There are some small let downs in my opinion from first power up. Only 10GB of the 16GB internal memory is usable due to the pre-installed applications. For example apps like Facebook and Spotify come pre-installed alongside all of the usual google apps. Since they are pre-installed, they cannot be removed only disabled. Having an app which takes up the kind of memory that Facebook does as bloatware is a bit odd. However as mentioned earlier I see this as a relatively minor issue.I have been using the Sony Xperia L1 for a few days now and I am enjoying the device. It is great value for money boasting great features such as a 13MP rear camera and 5MP front facing camera. The camera software is good for everyday picture taking but the software is basic offering very few features to improve quality in low light conditions. You get features such as face detection however in low light conditions a flash is as good as you get. When recording video the image stabilization doesn’t really function, so video while walking can appear shaky at times. It is a great camera for users such as myself who just take the novice pictures/videos from day to day. The quality of the picture is captured below in the outdoor image.Speaking of outdoors, one feature that I really enjoy about the Sony Xperia L1 is the automatic brightness adjustment of the screen depending on light conditions. There is a sensor on the front of the phone which increases/decreases the screen brightness. The brighter the environment the brighter the screen goes. The L1 also has a feature that you can deactivate where it will sense when you are no longer holding the phone and turn off the screen. Except when streaming video, I noticed that the screen stays on while using youtube etc...I have added a 16GB external memory card to the device which gives it amazing storage. The camera application asks if you wish the use the card as default storage the first time you use it with the card in. The L1 also gives you the option to transfer all pictures, videos and songs already on the device to the card in the settings menu under the storage menu.I like the ability to schedule the silent mode. I work in an office and often forget to put my mobile on silent. The L1 offers the ability to place the device on silent between the hours of your choosing, so I can place my phone on silent between 9 and 5.The speaker volume is quite good considering the L1 price point, however there is a headphone jack and the bluetooth functions very well with my bluetooth speaker.The cast function works well with smart tvs/projectors. I have not used the NFC feature and probably never will but, it’s nice that the feature is included.The device has a USB C charging port, however I have not experienced an difference in charge time on this device over the old android charging ports. The battery is not removable which sadly seems to be the way most smartphones are going now.Battery life: 3 DaysCharge Time: 2 hours from 30%, using the supplied plug and USB C cable.Battery drainage included, 2 hours youtube (1 hour which was played from a bluetooth speaker), [1hr 30 minutes] voice calling through facebook/skype. 2 hours Spotify (1 hour which was played through bluetooth headphones). Once a day bluetooth data transfer from a fitness watch (A fair amount of data being transferred). All connected through WIFI. The battery was on 30% at this point.The length of time you get out of the battery may vary depending on light conditions and whether or not you have the automatic brightness on. Most of my usage was in doors. The light will use more power outdoors with the sensor on.The phone enters stamina mode once the power drops below 15% which uses basic calls and texts to stretch the battery a little further, shutting down features such as WIFI and Bluetooth.Pros:Screen brightness adjusts to light conditions.Phone senses when you are no longer holding it and turns off the display. (Can be turned off)13MP rear camera.5MP front camera.Large screen.External micro SD card port (card not included).USB plug provided. USB C charging cable.Schedule silent times. Set to be silent between 9-5 etc….Cons:Only 10gb of the internal storage is usable due to everything that is pre-installed.No fast charge despite being USB C.No fingerprint scanner. (Doesn’t bother me, but worth mentioning)Battery cannot be removed.

Whatever people say about Samsung and Apple, this well rounded Android 7 phone is perfectly adequate. It has all the bells and whistles that you will ever need, including a very good GPS module and 4G. I know it's not fashionable, but the 720 resolution screen is bright, fast and perfectly OK.I took over all my contacts in about 5 minutes (there are hundreds) and I have found browsing the web both on WiFi and the EE network perfectly satisfactory. My only reservation: Fixed battery.It last about 20 hours of use. At least it has a micro SD chip for MP3 music, which is well rendered.I definitely recommend this phone - I have been using it for about a month now.

The Sony Xperia L1 is a decent phone, I've had mine 3 years now, if you want it for the basics, it's ideal for that.PROS: easy to use, easy to connect bluetooth devices, easy to view emails, easy to make calls, easy to listen to music, wired earphones jack so can use wired headphones or wireless using bluetooth.CONS: The power button has got lodged inside (photo) and now its hard to turn the mobile on, there's a limit to amount of apps you can install with internal storage, it doesn't allow apps to be transferred to SD card, Battery: the battery doesn't seem to last as long as other mobiles, even on Stamina mode, needs charging everyday and it takes hours to charge, the camera isn't the best.Verdict: okay for a temporary mobile now or a starter phone, it came out in 2017, so to be honest if you can get a more updated mobile released in the last few years, it is probably better to opt for that instead. I plan to upgrade myself soon