The Sony Xperia ZL is already out in countries such as Australia, Russia and India, and now it's ready to take on the U.S.

While people in other regions already knew when to expect the Sony Xperia ZL and for how much, the 5-incher is now official for U.S. folks as well, complete with pricing details and pre-orders.

On the other hand, it might not be all good news, as the 5-inch handset comes with quite a steep price tag. The unlocked, LTE-enabled Xperia ZL, model number C6506, will go on sale in the U.S. for no less than $759.99, while the HSPA+ version, model number C6502, will sport a $719.99 price tag.

"Sony Mobile Communications (USA), Inc. ('Sony Mobile') brings the Xperia^TM ZL to the US, offering consumers the best of Sony in a premium smartphone," touts the press release.

"The Xperia ZL has all of the specifications expected from a premium smartphone and offers even more with best of Sony experiences. It combines a razor sharp 5" full HD (1920x1080p) Reality Display with an elegant and compact design. Intelligent camera features make taking high quality images easier than ever, and One-touch connections via NFC (Near field communication) allow the Xperia ZL to communicate with a wide range of NFC-enabled devices with a single tap."

The Sony Xperia ZL may have exciting features, but the price is far from ideal for most people. If the recently-unveiled Samsung Galaxy S4 turns out to sport one of the two rumored price tags — either $579 or $650 — the price of the Xperia ZL seem even crazier. The HTC One will likely come with a $650 or $700 tops price tag, so overall it seems that Sony feels a bit too confident about the Xperia ZL's value.

The only bright side here is that these prices are only the manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRPs). According to Sony, the Xperia ZL will "soon be available through other select online retailers," and those retailers will likely charge less for the smartphone.

Two sellers already claim to have the Sony Xperia ZL in stock, and both of them offer the handset for a more decent price. PVCS sells the smartphone through Amazon and prices the 3G-only "international" model at $640, while Negri Electronics sells the same model for $654.40. It's still a high price, but at least it's a bit more sensible.

Meanwhile, Sony's U.S. store offers the Xperia ZL for pre-order in black, white and red color options. The company does not mention an exact shipping date, but the first orders will likely ship at the beginning of April.