Sony created quite the stir in the Android high end with its Xperia Z flagship – a slick device of elegant design and impressive spec sheet. Today, it’s looking to capitalize on that momentum with a new higher midrange offering in the face of the Xperia SP. Sony’s most competitive devices have historically come from the midrange, so we’re eager to see how the SP will do.

Sony has put a respectable 4.6-inch 720p display on the Xperia SP, which is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm MSM9860Pro chipset, 1GB of RAM, and Adreno 320 graphics. There’s also a fresh looking transparent light strip at the bottom, which can be customized to serve notifications in various color combinations.

Here’s a quick view of the Sony Xperia SP feature list:

Sony Xperia SP at a glance:

• General: 2G/3G/4G connectivity
• Dimensions: 130.6 x 67.1 x 9.98 mm, 155 g
• Display: 4.6″ 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (319ppi)
• Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8960T
• CPU: Dual-core ARM Krait 1.7 GHz processor
• GPU: Adreno 320
• RAM: 1GB
• OS: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
• Memory: 8GB storage (5.8GB user-accessible), microSD card slot
• Still camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera, HDR mode, panorama, face detection, touch focus and image stabilization; VGA front-facing camera, video calls
• Video camera: Full HD (1080p) video recording
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, standard microUSB port with MHL features (TV Out, USB host), GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC
• Battery: 2370 mAh
• Misc: Sony custom UX, built-in accelerometer, multi-touch input, proximity sensor, gyroscope sensor, Glove mode, battery STAMINA mode, customizable ambient light strip, dedicated camera key

There’s a clear line between today’s midrange market and fullHD flagship territory, but the 720p resolution on the 4.6″ display is not overly stretched, and results in a respectable pixel density of 319ppi. The Xperia SP also comes with the standard array of connectivity features, complete with LTE support.

The 8MP camera is capable of shooting fullHD (1080p) video, and comes with an LED flash and a VGA front-facer to boot. On the following page, we’ll take a closer look at the device, including our general impressions of the design and build.