Overall, it has an appealing, muted quality about it, with a matte finish that's divided by seams for the two non-removable caps, a covered port for micro-SIM and micro-USB ports on the upper left, and a circular cutout for NFC contact just beneath the 13.1-megapixel camera.

ENGADGET: Sony Xperia TL review: the company's second US flagship is much improved, but still imperfect