Cincinnati Bell Will Be First US Carrier Offering The Sony Xperia ZL

As we noted early in March, and then again later on in March, Sony's Xperia ZL handset has been destined to arrive on shelves in the United States, but until now it was unknown which carrier would be offering it. That question has finally been answered, with Cincinnati Bell announcing via press release that it will be the first carrier in the U.S. to offer the sleek 5-inch handset.

The Xperia ZL handset is high-end phablet offering a full 1920 x 1080 HD Reality Display, as well as a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor and the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2. There's a rear 13-megapixel Exmor RS for Mobile camera that can record HDR video in 1080p, offering both noise reduction and Superior Auto focus. The handset supports 4G LTE and offers both NFC and infrared connectivity, running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

To help ensure that users aren't having to charge too often, there's the Battery STAMINA standby feature as well. The handset is compatible with HSPA+ 1/2/4/5/8 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900. The carrier will be offering the Sony Xperia ZL for $249.99 after a mail-in rebate and a two-year contract, and says it will be available on May 1 via its website and retail stores.

Said Cincinnati Bell's Consumer Markets Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Vanerwoude, "We're excited to add the Sony Xperia ZL to our line of premium smartphones. With this extraordinary device, customers can connect with each other using the best technology Sony has to offer. The Xperia ZL on Cincinnati Bell's 4G wireless network creates an unbeatable combination."

[via Business Wire]