Sony officially unveiled its flagship Xperia Z and Xperia ZL at a press event earlier today. Sony has gained popularity with its mid-range and entry-level devices in India, and is hoping to replicate that success with its high-end smartphones as well. And the Xperia Z and ZL are definitely the devices to bet on. While a lot of markets will be seeing the release of either of the smartphones, India is one of the few markets where both smartphones will launch simultaneously.

The two devices have very similar specifications, featuring a 1.5Ghz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB RAM, 5-inch 1080p display, 16GB internal storage which is further expandable via microSD, a 13MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera, and a 2,330 mAh battery (Xperia Z) and 2,370 mAh battery (Xperia ZL). While the hardware is the same, the Xperia ZL features a more compact design and a dedicated camera button, whereas the Xperia Z boasts a beautiful tempered-glass finish, along with the added benefit of being water and dust resistant.

The Sony Xperia Z will go on sale for Rs 38,990 (~$750), while the Xperia ZL will cost a little less, at Rs 35,990 (~$692). Sony also announced that owners of the Sony Xperia Z will get 8GB free data from Vodafone, valid for 2 months, along with free 6-month access to the Sony Jive music and video streaming applications. The price point is not really surprising, and should be competitive against the HTC One (which will likely be priced higher) and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4.

Both smartphones are already up for pre-order from online retailers Flipkart (Xperia Z and Xperia ZL), and will be available from Sony retail stores from March 12. If you're undecided on which smartphone to choose, check out our hands-on comparison of both devices here:

If that's not enough good news, Sony also announced at today's press event that the highly anticipated Sony Xperia Tablet Z will be making its way to Indian shores in May. Unfortunately, no pricing details or the exact release date was mentioned.

What are your thoughts? Will you be buying the Sony Xperia Z or the Xperia ZL? Which out of the two smartphones do you prefer?