It feels like Sony launched the Xperia 1 III a lifetime ago but it’s only just become available to pre-order in the US while the UK has to wait until August 19th. Sporting a Snapdragon 888 processor and a 4K 120Hz OLED display, the Xperia 1 III isn’t what you might call affordable but Sony will throw in a pair of its excellent WF-1000XM3 Wireless Earbuds to sweeten the deal.
Besides the 6.5-inch OLED display with 4K resolution and a 120Hz display, the Xperia 1 II features a trio of 12MP sensors with ZEISS optics and a 4,500mAh battery with 30W fast-charging. Despite the somewhat hefty price that puts it right alongside the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s RRP, the Xperia 1 III does look like Sony is finally back on track with its flagship strategy. Now it just needs to put the device on sale weeks instead of months after it’s officially unveiled.
US buyers are now able to pre-order the 12/256GB variant of the Xperia 1 III in Frosted Black and Frosted Purple direct from Sony’s online store and other authorized retailers, which means that there is no carrier support for the handset. UK buyers will have to wait until August 19th to place their orders.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Software | Android 11 |
| Display | 6.5-inch 4K OLED, HDR, (3840 x 1644) Resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 21:9 aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Octa-core, Adreno 660 GPU |
| RAM | 12GB |
| Storage | 256GB |
| MicroSD Support | Yes |
| Battery & Charging | 4,500mAh, 30W fast wired charging, Wireless charging support |
| Rear Camera | Primary: 12MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.7″, 1.8µm, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF Secondary: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2, 16mm, 1/2.6″, Dual Pixel PDAF Tertiary: 12MP periscope, f/2.3-2.8, 70mm-105mm, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Front Camera | 8MP |
| Ports | USB Type-C |
| Audio Jack | Yes |
| Connectivity | 5G (Sub-6Hz), Bluetooth 5.2, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band WiFi, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo |
| Audio & Vibration | Front-firing stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio, 360 Reality Audio (through speakers), 360 Spatial Sound (over headphones) |
| Dimensions | 165 x 71 x 8.2mm |
| Weight | 186g |
| Colors | Frosted Black, Frosted Purple |
| Price | $1,300/£1,200 |
