Sony recently unveiled its Xperia Z and Xperia ZL smartphones at the CES 2013. Even though the company's flagship for 2013, the Xperia Z, may have been hogging all the limelight, its sibling Xperia ZL packs in quite a few mean punches of its own.

At first glance, both the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL may seem similar barring a few cosmetic changes, but there is a major feature that sets the two devices apart - it's the water- and dust resistant feature that Xperia Z boasts and are devoid in the Xperia ZL.

In case you're wondering why the Xperia ZL is not waterproof like Xperia Z, it's because ZL packs in infrared/IrDA capabilities. A water-resistant Xperia ZL would have meant that Sony skip this distinguishing feature in the device as a waterproof frame would undoubtedly interfere and hamper the performance.

Some Sony tablets already boast the IR feature; however, the Xperia ZL is the first smartphone from the company to have the IR functionality, which converts the handset into a universal remote control that can be used for various entertainment devices like a DVD player, TV, satellite box, and more.

"In Xperia ZL, the specific features you'll find include infrared/IrDA functionality, so that you'll be able to use your smartphone to control your TV, cable box, DVD player or other IR enabled entertainment device," says Sony.

The water-resistant feature Sony incorporated in its Xperia Z means that the device is waterproof for up to one meter and per the company, has the highest levels of water and dust resistance (IP55 & IP57), found in any high-end smartphone. Sony claims that the Xperia Z can be immersed in water, but not more than one meter of water for 30 minutes at a time.