Sony makes cameras, televisions, game consoles and (traditionally) audio products – then you could say that success for a smartphone is guaranteed. It has been shown for years: nothing could be further from the truth. Will the Sony Xperia 1 III change this or will it reinforce the status quo?
Sony Xperia 1 III
Recommended retail price € 1299,-
Colors Black, Gray and Purple
OS Android 11
Screen 6.5 inch OLED (3840 at 1,644, 60 Hz or 2560 x 1,096, 120 Hz)
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
RAM 12GB
Storage 256 to 512 GB (expandable)
Battery 4,500 mAh
Camera 12, 12 and 12 megapixels (rear), 8 megapixels (front)
Connectivity 5G, 4G (LTE), Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6, GPS, NFC
Format 165 x 71 x 8.2mm
Weight 186 grams
Other IP68 certification
Website www.sony.nl 8 Score 80 
- Pros
- sleek design
- True-to-life photos
- Beautiful OLED screen
- Waterproof
- Software and usage
- Negatives
- Screen not very bright
- Not for everyone
- Software Policy
- Uncertainty about screen settings
- Little difference with predecessor
The Sony Xperia 1 III is a high-end smartphone pur sang. Sony doesn’t seem to have cut back on anything. Under the hood is a lightning-fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, accompanied by 12 GB of RAM and 256 to 512 GB of internal storage (of the ufs 3.1 type). The storage memory is expandable with a micro SD card up to 1 TB. You can also place a second SIM card in the same slot. The device has stereo speakers, which produce a clear, soft and fairly wide sound, as well as a battery with a capacity of 4,500 mAh. That battery takes two hours to be fully charged (otherwise for fifty percent in half an hour).
At the front is a large, not too bright OLED screen of 6.5 inches, and a resolution of up to 3,840 by 1,644 pixels. In addition, there is a refresh rate of 120 Hertz. Here it gets a bit complicated, since Sony does not make it clear in the menu what happens when you activate that mode. So you can not combine the 4k resolution with 120 Hertz (that is only possible in certain apps). If you activate that mode anyway, the smartphone will switch to a resolution of 2,560 by 1,096 pixels. That’s not bad at all, because on smaller screens you have very little benefit from a 4k resolution. It then consumes an unnecessary amount of energy. The lack of clarity is a problem.
Tight packaging
That beautiful, large screen and all those high-end specs are packed in a sleek package, just like with the previous iterations. If you put them all next to each other, you will only see small differences. The Sony Xperia 1 III is still long and narrow and therefore fits comfortably in the hand. New this time is the button for the Google Assistant. It feels a bit unnecessary, but that will undoubtedly differ per user. Fortunately, the button is not too much in the way. On the right is the fast fingerprint scanner. So Sony still has its own plan when it comes to scanners, as the majority of manufacturers have switched to in-display scanners.
At the bottom is the USB-c port, on top – still surprisingly enough – the audio port. It is good to see that Sony remains stubborn and draws its own plan regarding important elements on a smartphone. For example, you are not obliged to invest in an adapter (from 3.5 mm-to-usb-c) or a wireless headset or set of earplugs. This time the back has been made matte, which gives the whole an even sleeker appearance. The business character comes out very nicely, while fingerprints are kept out. The stereo speakers are nicely processed in the front of the smartphone, which is also nice in the hand. The buttons are all easily accessible.
That Sony has an eye for detail is apparent from many elements of the Sony Xperia 1 III (and its predecessors). The step on the left, with space for two SIM cards or a SIM card and a micro SD card, can be opened without tools. The drawer has a small notch, so you can open it effortlessly with your fingernail. Handy for when you want to transfer your captured photos to a computer very quickly, since you can remove the SD card without any hassle. There is also an IP68 certificate, which makes it easy to survive a fall in the bath, as well as Gorilla protection. On the front is Gorilla Glass Victus and on the back Glass 6. The metal frame keeps everything together nicely.
Nice user experience
Why Sony scores so poorly with its smartphones is a mystery when you look purely at the user experience. The beautiful and large AMOLED screen displays colors faithfully. You watch cinema films without black bars. And the movie maker mode provides picture settings the way a maker intended. Powerful marketing material first, but also the truth second. This gives the device absolute added value. The interface is also clear and clean. Android 11 is delivered almost bare, although there are exclusive Sony functions. Unfortunately, some apps are included that few people are waiting for.
For example, the Sony Xperia devices have a side sensor that gives you access to the apps you use often. It is entirely up to you which apps appear in this menu. In addition, it is good to see that Sony is moving with the times and preparing the device for the future, thanks to the support for WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and 5G. There is also an NFC chip, so that you can make mobile payments, for example. These elements ensure that the Sony Xperia 1 III is more complete than ever, so that you do not quickly feel like you are missing out on something. Now we have to wait for a good 5g network in the Netherlands, but that is slowly coming.
Furthermore, the Xperia 1 III offers a convenient one-handed mode. That the screen is so long and stretched is fine for photos, videos and other content. But for daily operation it can sometimes be annoying that your thumb does not reach everything. With a simple action you digitally shrink the screen and it appears in the corner, making navigation smooth. There is, however, a drawback to this. When you use gesture-based navigation, and thus remove the traditional Android button at the bottom, you really have to look up the one-handed mode within the settings. Hopefully Sony can come up with something on this.
Displaying the image in 120 Hz is really wonderful. Especially on that beautiful OLED screen from Sony. There is no stutter and apps just flow across the display. It is fine that the resolution is reduced to a full HD resolution, because that saves battery use. And speaking of that battery: it is not a pity that it takes two hours to fully charge. With this, and with other functions, Sony is focusing on preserving the battery. As a result, it lasts longer, so that you can use the device longer and do not need to be replaced quickly. As far as we are concerned, this is a great advantage, because it is less harmful to the environment.
Finally, it is striking that Sony seems to handle software support fairly well. During the installation of the review model, two device updates were available. As a result, the security update is now at the level of July 1, 2021. Sony promises two years of Android upgrades and three years of security updates. Although that is basically fine, it is also somewhat meager. Especially since Nokia in particular shows that devices can be supported for longer with Android upgrades. For a device with a suggested retail price of 1299 euros, you can actually expect more. The two years of support is therefore the minimum Sony can do.
The beautiful camera system
The most important part of the Sony Xperia 1 III is without a doubt the camera system. It’s a beautiful, but not unparalleled system – purely when you look at hardware. The system consists of four sensors, three of which are twelve-megapixel sensors. That is the wide-angle lens, ultra-wide-angle lens and the telephoto lens. They offer focal lengths of 16, 24, 70 and 105 millimeters. Finally, there is a time of flight sensor, of 0.3 megapixels, or a depth sensor. The system has handy gadgets, such as eye tracking, HDR and recordings from 30 to 240 fps, ranging from 4k to 1080p. On the front is an eight-megapixel selfie camera.
The specs often – but certainly also in this case – tell half the story. Good (smartphone) cameras are not characterized by a high number of megapixels, but what you do with those megapixels. It does mean that Sony’s smartphone cameras are less good for people who want to take photos in very high resolutions with sufficient light. What you get in return is an extremely well-functioning color spectrum sensor, combined with countless software options and optimizations. Sony promises that you can take true-to-life photos with this device, and our experience shows that this is actually the case.
Where other smartphones often make reality look better than it actually is – through artificial intelligence – we see that Sony chooses a different route. The colors in the photos are much closer to those in real life. And that means the photos may be a little gray and pale, but that’s because the environment you’re in may be a little gray and pale. That is not due to the camera, because it captures moments very beautifully, almost as you would observe them yourself. Not everyone likes that, but it is a big plus for photography enthusiasts. Nothing is made better than it is.
Compared to last year, Sony has simplified the software somewhat. This time, for example, we do not see duplicate apps for photo and videography, but everything is now processed in one app. The app allows you to switch modes very quickly. This way you can set everything up yourself if you want, but you can also let the device do the work for you. Sony is of course not unique in this. But it simplifies taking beautiful photos enormously. And if you still want to get more out of the hardware, you can. You get access to the same software environment that was inspired by the Alpha cameras. This gives you as a future photographer a little more grip and overview.
Sony Xperia 1 III – conclusion
We could write pages and muse about a device like the Sony Xperia 1 III for hours, because there is simply a lot of attention to detail and in particular the camera system is too extensive for a simple and clear review. Know that you can get much more out of your photos than competing models, although the megapixel count may be disappointing for some people. Then we haven’t even mentioned the shutter button on the side, with which you can focus and take pictures. Another asset in the hands with which Sony shows that it is walking its own path. But we doubt it will change the status quo. It’s too niche.
We also make a comparison with the predecessor. If you already have a Sony Xperia 1 II at home, we do not recommend switching. There are too few noticeable differences for that. The camera system is almost the same, the software optimizations are not unique and the general design is also unchanged. In terms of battery life, you do not really improve, because both devices last the same time (a day and a half with moderate use) and the Xperia 1 III even takes longer to charge (but we see that as a positive point in this case). ). However, if this is your first Xperia 1, and if you are looking for a good smartphone camera, go for it.
Sony has no real competition in this segment. Yes, for that price you get the more expensive Samsungs and Apples of this world. But in the field of photography there are hardly any devices that show pictures so accurately and faithfully. Sony is lonely at the top with this. Of course there are things that are disappointing, but those are more things you should keep in mind. If you have a Sony in mind, then you now know what you are getting into and what to expect. You buy such a device with a specific purpose in mind and that is of course photography. And that’s something that Samsungs and Apples really can’t match.
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