Sony still makes phones, surprising we know, as LG already kicked the bucket, and both companies practically have zero percent market share. Kudos to Sony for not giving up, for now at least.
Anyway, Sony has unveiled three camera-centric Xperia phones with almost DSLR-level professional mode, which is what was mostly discussed during the live event.
Xperia 1 III
If you are confused on how to read it, well, us too. Luckily Sony repeated how to pronounce the name of these new phones. (Seriously Sony, you need to fix your naming scheme). It’s pronounced “Sony One, Mark Three”. The “One” series is the flagship, The “Five” series is the premium midrange, and the “Ten” series is the midrange
The 1 III features typical flagship specs: Snapdragon 888 5G, OLED display and great cameras. However, despite the somehow typical features, Sony made it so that their phone stood out from the crowd. For one, they have no punch hole to place that front camera in. Also, the display is 4K, at a 21:9 aspect ratio too, as well as the typical 120Hz refresh rate for a flagship. Tall and sleek, the ideal size for a phone, in our honest opinion.
Sony kept boasting how they brought the aspects of their DSLR department into their smartphones, and that’s why, for most of the event, the highlight is towards the Pro mode. The Xperia One III as three cameras with Zeiss lenses, all at 12mp. However, they are all not the same as they have different focal lengths. The first is the typical lens with 24mm focal length, the second is a 12mp telephoto lens with 70mm in length. The third is the ultrawide lens with 16mm in focal length and 124° FOV. The fourth is a Time-of-Flight (TOF) 3D lens for help in depth,
The phone also has OIS enabled for better video shooting with less blur and less shake. Also adding to those lens, they are all tuned by Zeiss with Zeiss T* coating, as mentioned earlier.
The phone also has boasted a 240Hz touch sampling rate and an increased contrast ratio, adept for gaming. With the tall and high resolution 4K display, gaming is much more immersive. They call this increased contrast ratio “Low Gamma Raiser”
The 120Hz display also helps for less blur during intense action moments.
Sony also lets users record the last 30 seconds of their gameplay (similar to the one seen on Legion Phone Duel 2), as well as burst screenshot at 20fps. Also, in addition, the phone has a noise cancelling microphone upfront
The phone also has a 4500mAh battery, not the biggest but is typical for a flagship. Sony says the phone’s battery can withstand for 3 years before completely degrading, which is a huge exaggeration in our opinion. The phone supports 30W fast charging and Qi Wireless Charging.
Sony is also known for its great headphones, and audiophiles have a special love for them, so Sony also optimised and tuned the Xperia series for sound. Yes, unlike other flagships, they have managed to keep that stereo front facing speakers with 360 surround sound, so you can immerse yourself the sound around you. Tuned by Tidal and Dolby Atmos to bring satisfying and immersive sound experience.
We always wonder why the most interesting phones are usually the ones dying first. LG and Sony never gave up on the headphone jack, when other companies, even Samsung, did. The Xperia III series still has that sweet and convenient headphone jack.
Another great feature the Xperia One III has is the IP68 dust and water resistance. Also, the phone is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
Xperia 5 III
The Xperia 5 III is pretty much the same ideal as the Sony Xperia 1 III, with the same Zeiss lenses, and the same features, including processor, display and pro modes, except the 5 III is protected by Gorilla Glass 6 instead of Victus and has no 3D TOF sensor unlike the Xperia One III.
The phone also has 30W fast charging with 4500mAh battery as well as Qi wireless charging
Xperia 10 III
The Sony Xperia 10 III is the first midrange Xperia phone with 5G enabled. It is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 chipset, and also has a triple camera sensor, albeit with lower MP count. The main one still has that 12mp sensor with a focal length of 27mm, the second is an 8mp ultrawide sensor with 120° FOV, and the third is also an 8mp sensor, but it’s a telephoto lens with a focal length of 54mm.
The phone has a 6in. 21:9 notchless, dotless OLED HDR display. Unlike the other two, this one has 1080p resolution. Also, this one is smaller than the previous two, with the Xperia One III having a 6.5in. display while the Xperia 5 III has a 6.1in display.
Like its flagship siblings, the phone has IP68 water resistance, a rare novelty for midrange smartphones. Unlike its flagship siblings, the Xperia 10 III only has 18W fast charging, but kept the same battery capacity at 4500mAh
Colours/Availability:
The Xperia 1 III comes in three colours: Frosted Black, Frosted Purple and Frosted Gray. The Xperia 5 III also comes in three colours: Black, Green and Pink. The Xperia 10 III comes in four: Black, Blue, White and Pink. All phones have complementary cases with matching colours.
Sony has announced no prices yet, but all three will be available “early summer”.
Source: Sony 14th Anniversary Live Event (has ended)
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