Sony Xperia 1 III: an expensive cell phone with lenses that move to offer better optical zoom

(CNN Spanish) – The Sony Xperia 1 III (pronounced Sony Xperia 1 Mark 3) and the Sony Xperia 5 III (pronounced Sony Xperia 5 Mark 3) are the new cell phones of the Japanese company that seek to take mobile photography to another level.

These flagship phones were presented this April 14, sharing many of the characteristics between the two and maintaining almost the same design and differentiating aspects of previous generations.

However, there are some important news that these phones bring, beyond simply a specification update.

Sony Xperia 1 III: the newest features

• First cell phone with a variable telephoto lens that is accompanied by a dual-pixel sensor (lenses that move to allow a more traditional optical zoom, between 70mm and 105mm)
• Real-time tracking with continuous autofocus and Eye AF to detect the eyes of people and animals
• 20fps burst mode with low light noise reduction
• Camera App Pro has new basic mode
• First cell phone in the world with a 4K screen with a 120Hz refresh rate (with Gorilla Glass Victus)
• World’s first mobile phone with 360 Reality Audio sound that plays directly from the speakers (and the speakers are 40% more powerful)
• New 360 spatial sound

Differences between the two models

The Sony Xperia 1 III is the company’s most advanced cell phone, while the Xperia 5 III is a more compact version that requires some sacrifices.

For example, the Xperia 1 III has a 6.5-inch screen with a 4K resolution, while the Xperia 5 III has a 6.1-inch screen with a Full HD resolution.

READ: Galaxy S21 Ultra: Amazing Features and Right Price

Also, the Xperia 5 III does not have the 3D iToF sensor, real-time tracking, instead of Gorilla Glass Victus on the screen it has Gorilla Glass 6, it cannot be charged wirelessly and it cannot charge other devices wirelessly either.

Other specifications also have their modifications. The Xperia 1 III has 12GB of RAM with 256GB of storage instead of 8GB of RAM with 128 or 256GB; it supports mmWave networks and not just 5G Sub-6; it has a microSD slot; and its price would be lower.

With this, the two models are adequately positioned in terms of specifications and special functions compared to cell phones such as the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the iPhone 12 and even the OnePlus 9 Pro that was recently announced.

However, previous Sony models showed that some of the differentiations end up being useful to very few users and the high prices the company has maintained has not placed them in as favorable a position as one would expect for all the technology they include.

Price and availability

The price of the Sony Xperia 1 III is US $ 1,299 in the United States and in presale, Sony is giving away the WF-1000XM3 wireless headphones and 43,200 points in Call of Duty Mobile. The pre-sale of this Sony cell phone began on July 1, but its initial shipping date is August 19.

Pricing for the Xperia 5 III hasn’t been announced, but its predecessor had an MSRP of $ 949.

The Xperia 1 III will be available in black and purple, while the Xperia 5 III will be available in black and green.

Sony Xperia 1 III: features and specifications

• Screen: 6.5 inches 4K, 120Hz (OLED)
• Processor: Snapdragon 888
• RAM and storage: 12GB / 256GB
• Cameras: 12 MP (16mm) at f / 2.2 + 12 MP (24mm) at f / 1.7 + 12 MP (70mm – 105mm) at f / 2.3, 2.8
• Frontal camera: 8 MP
• Drums: 4,500mAh (30W)
• Waterproof: IP65 / 68
• Other: 3.5mm, 5G mmWave and Sub-6 headphone jack
• Size and weight: 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm / 186 grams

Sony Xperia 5 III: features and specifications

• Screen: 6.1 inches Full HD, 120Hz (OLED)
• Processor: Snapdragon 888
• RAM and storage: 8GB / 128GB or 256GB
• Cameras: 12 MP (16mm) at f / 2.2 + 12 MP (24mm) at f / 1.7 + 12 MP (70mm – 105mm) at f / 2.3, 2.8
• Frontal camera: 8 MP
• Drums: 4,500mAh (30W)
• Waterproof: IP65 / 68
• Other: 3.5mm headphone jack, 5G Sub-6
• Size and weight: 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm / 186 grams