There is no doubt that the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL are some of the most exciting smartphones that Sony has ever put out. The press and public have agreed with mostly praise and a lot of excitement and hype surrounding the product’s release. If such a phone was release by Apple, HTC, or Samsung, you could expect a big media blitz, followed by carrier partnership which is the life and breath of the smartphone market in the US. Learning from past mistakes and their nearly zero market penetration in the US, Sony finally partnered with a carrier to help bring the Xperia ZL to more consumers while driving down the phone’s cost via subsidy. The only problem is, who the heck is Cincinnati Bell?

Sony has announced a new partnership with Cincinnati Bell which will see the carrier carry the Xperia ZL starting on May 1st. A two year contract will score you the lusted device for $250. Mike Vanderwoude, senior vice president/general manager, Consumer Markets for Cincinnati Bell said:

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.

While not the most compelling carrier, especially in number of consumers they cover and provide to, it’s encouraging that they do at least offer 4G, putting the Xperia ZL’s 4G LTE to good use. Despite us not having ever heard of Cincinnati Bell and hoping that Sony would have had a bigger carrier to announce like say AT&T, Verizon or Sprint, we can only take this as a sign of good things to come and that Sony does finally understand the US market.

Discuss:

Do you think the Xperia ZL will expand to the big three carriers?

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Cincinnati Bell Becomes First U.S. Carrier to Offer Sony Xperia™ ZL Smartphone

World’s Most Compact Premium Smartphone Available from Cincinnati Bell on May 1

CINCINNATI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Cincinnati Bell, the region’s leading provider of communications services for homes and businesses, today announced it will begin selling the new Sony Xperia™ ZL, a premium smartphone with a razor-sharp 5-inch high-definition Reality Display. The Xperia ZL from Sony will be available from Cincinnati Bell online and in stores by May 1 for $249.99 after mail-in rebate with a two-year equipment agreement.

“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,” said Mike Vanderwoude, senior vice president/general manager, Consumer Markets. “The Xperia ZL on Cincinnati Bell’s 4G wireless network creates an unbeatable combination.”

The Xperia ZL has all of the specifications and premium features expected from a technology innovator like Sony. A razor-sharp 5-inch full HD (1920x1080p) Reality Display brings Sony’s long-standing TV expertise to the smartphone delivering optimized color, contrast and clarity. Intelligent camera capabilities previously only available in Sony digital cameras make taking high-quality images easier than ever, no matter what the conditions.

One-touch connections via NFC (Near field communication) enable consumers to easily share music, photos, and video from their Xperia ZL with other NFC-enabled devices including Sony speakers, headphones and TVs. For example, with the latest NFC-capable BRAVIA TV, simply touch the Xperia ZL to the TV remote control and enjoy photos or browse the Xperia ZL’s interface on the large TV screen. In addition, the Xperia ZL’s infrared capability offers remote control of TV’s and other home entertainment devices.

Xperia ZL Key Features:

5-inch 1920x1080p full HD Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2
13MP camera with Exmor RS for Mobile, HDR video (1080p), Superior Auto and Noise Reduction to effortlessly capture razor-sharp pictures and videos in any conditions
Battery STAMINA for improved standby time
NFC-enabled and Infrared capable
1.5 GHz asynchronous quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 2GB RAM
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
Compatible network bands: HSPA+ 1,2,4,5,8 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900

The Sony Xperia ZL will be available for purchase on Cincinnati Bell’s website, www.cincinnatibell.com, and in Cincinnati Bell stores by May 1 for $249.99 after mail-in rebate with a two-year equipment agreement.

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