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.

I like Sony products so decided to take the plunge with the entry level Xperia (so the camera has an inferior lens) but I wasn't really bothered about that. Anyway, the phone is great and having used Windows Phone for years I was coming over to Android and the OS on the whole is better in the sense that it is far less sluggish. I'm now able to complete tasks such as web browsing much quicker than I could have with my previous phone. The most impressive feature of the phone besides the design (which I really like with the feeling of the back cover which is less likely to slip out of your hand although I'd recommend a case), is the battery life where the phone will last for days if not heavily used. Even if you watch some videos it can last for quite a while although it depends on how long you're watching videos. If there's a negative of the Xperia it is that it's stuffed with useless apps that are hard to remove. The default space is almost taken up by 50% with apps but you can always upgrade the memory if needed. If you're looking for a mid-range phone that doesn't have too many advanced features you will be happy with the Xperia. It does the job or at least it does in what I'm seeking in a phone which is the basics such as calls and texts with a few extras. It can do anything pricier competitors can but just less of it or at an inferior standard such as with photos. If you need a phone for pictures you're much better with the more expensive model but for everyone else it will work just fine.

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 Days Charge 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.

Purchased as a replacement for my old xperia when the battery swelled up on the back , I loved my phone and luckily the model was available brand new in sealed packaging some 6 years layer , and I just transferred my data over from my other phone took 20 minutes and I got all my apps and wallpaper etc very easy I love this phone good size easy to use camera is good , nothing negative to say hence this is the second one , very good value for money and not over complicated for us older ladies

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

The Sony Xperia L1 Free-form Smartphone in Black was delivered to me on time and well package, it’s cost was £99.99 this review is being posted four months after purchases, For the cost of the phone its reasonably good I have used the phone for text messaging email taken photos and some general use on the internet. I have to say the phone not fast, also I’ve tried four different sim card from different phone providers and the results are the same the the signal is appalling for phone calls and text messaging so I have to assume it’s the phone and not the provider, the battery life is now shorter than it was when new and there been no additional apps installed. The WiFi will switch it self off randomly which has resulted in extra cost to me because when the phone can it will use the providers signal. The camera not great but for what I use it for I get by mainly photographing broken machine bits and bobs for reminders and family photos. So is it worth the money, should have been cheaper and if you can afford it buy a more expensive phone which hopefully has better WiFi and Camera and and phone signal. I am going to try return the Phone for repair or replacement because this must be broken if not it,s an extremely poor phone from Sony. So Purchased the phone in Nov 2017 what’s on offer here from Amazon is there Tech support,by chat or phone , send the item to a independent repairer where if they decide the repair is not in the warranty you the customer will pay for the repair. So no 12 months warranty I think the lesson here don’t Buy a Phone from Amazon no rights at all very poor from Amazon. I shall be seeking legal advice on this retail transaction.

I've had a lot of Sony mobiles in the past three have been android this phone is way better than my xperia xa, it looks like an expensive mobile xz great colours and detail on the screen quick smooth running. At last a battery lasts tor two days as it drains more slowly the camera isn't the best but the pictures are perfect and editing app helps you get the best picture All in all great mobile if your on a budget I got mine on the black Friday sale for £99 which was a great saving for better tech and a great efficient service. Your drivers are really friendly and really fast thanks to you all have a nice Christmas. All the best Jenson

I helped a friend upgrade to a newer mid range smartphone and this was my choice. It has a good build quality and look, performance is really fast and smooth. The display is actually surprisingly good given its only a 720p resolution but it looks really clear and sharp. Sonys UI over android is really simple to use, so a novice should pick it up no problem. Obviously this not been a flag ship, it doesn't have a fingerprint scanner or other secure device unlock, although i personally think it should do given the price. The camera also took me by surprise, it takes crystal clear pictures and video, when compared next to my S8 it actually holds up really well. Would totally recommend for someone wanting to upgrade to a mid range smartphone.

A fuire achat en novembre (5mois d utilisation) et la batterie tiens pas la matinée impossible de télécharger des applications car la mémoire ne le permet pas ..... déçu de mon achat