Capable Yet Affordable: The Sony Xperia neo L comes to Malaysia

If you’re looking for an affordable yet capable Android smartphone, here’s one that has just arrived.

The Sony Xperia neo L hits Malaysian stores this month with a recommended retail price of RM888. Originally launched for the Chinese market in March this year, the Xperia neo L succeeds the Xperia neo with a larger 4-inch 480 x 854 pixels LCD display (approx. 245 ppi pixel density) from 3.7-inch on the outgoing model.

Aside from that, essential specs remain the same with a 1GHz single-core Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor with 512MB of RAM, 1GB of on board storage and a micro SD card slot that supports cards up to 32GB.

Curiously, the rear camera MP count has been reduced from 8MP on the Xperia neo to a 5MP unit, but then again, pixel count doesn’t determine picture quality, so the 5MP sensor in the Xperia neo L should be more efficient imaging unit despite the lower pixel count. Unlike the old neo, the camera on the neo L is capable of shooting 720p videos. There’s also a VGA resolution from camera.

Other highlights include Sony’s xLoud sound enhancement technology that delivers extra audio punch with minimal distortion and of course, the device is running Android 4.0.

The Xperia neo L comes in black and white, and for a limited time Sony will bundle the device with a car charger and Micro USB cable worth RM59.

With a selection of great quad-core and dual-core Android smartphone to choose from in the market right now, the single-core Xperia neo L may not be at the cutting edge of mobile gadgetry but with an affordable price, trademark Sony built quality and reliable camera capabilities, in addition to Android 4.0, this latest addition to the Sony smartphone range is certainly one that we recommend you take a look at if you’re in the market for a reasonable smartphone below the RM1,000 mark.

Head on to after the jump for our hands-on video on the Sony Xperia neo L.