The Xperia 1 series is Sony’s top-end smartphone lineup, each iteration offering a tighter and more refined experience than the last. It draws on various technologies from the company’s other product categories, including Bravia TVs, Alpha cameras, and audio wares, to craft a purpose-built handset for multimedia and photography enthusiasts.
Display
The Sony Xperia 1 Iii is the first smartphone to sport a 4K display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It also features exceptional audio and gaming capabilities.
The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, the most challenging grade available for smartphones. The 6.5-inch OLED panel has a 21:9 aspect ratio, making it ideal for widescreen movies and gaming.
There’s also a dedicated multi-window mode and Sony’s own Side Sense mini-menu system for quick access to apps and settings.
Color reproduction is excellent, with a high dE2000 (a measure of the accuracy of the pixel response) and good tone mapping – both of which are important for accurate color rendition in sRGB content. However, a slight green cast is noticeable when viewing the video at angles, and a pronounced shift in white points is visible.
Camera
The Xperia 1 Iii offers an incredible level of camera capability that puts the needs of video shooters first. It’s backed by a powerful processor, long battery life, and two intuitive Pro apps.
The camera is built around a vertical traffic light arrangement that incorporates a trio of 12-megapixel sensors. One is a wide-angle unit (24mm f/1.7), and the other is ultra wide-angle units (16mm and 24mm).
Both use ZEISS’ T anti-reflective coating to ensure images come out in pleasing contrast and have plenty of detail. The primary lens, which has an f/1.7 aperture, also features Sony’s Optical SteadyShot image stabilization technology.
The telephoto lenses can switch between 70mm and 105mm, which offers a range of digital zoom options that reaches up to 300mm with a new enhanced algorithm Sony calls AI super-resolution zoom. It uses AI processing to restore image details and definitions.
Performance
The Xperia 1 Iii is Sony’s latest flagship handset, and if you love taking pictures, gaming, video, or watching TV on your smartphone, you’ll find this a top-class option. Its headline features include a Snapdragon 888 SoC, improved cameras, and the first-of-its-kind 4K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
This should be an unmissable phone with Sony’s exceptional audio and gaming. If only it could deliver more battery life.
It’s a shame the price of this handset is so high. It would be nice if Sony trimmed back its ambitions to make a more affordable and practical phone for real-world use.
Battery
The Xperia 1 Iii is a premium phone with an impressive display, a capable camera, and an array of features that help it stand out. However, it also comes with a few drawbacks, one being battery life.
Unlike other phones, Sony has no dedicated battery management feature, so it relies on several tricks to maximize its power capacity. These include a longer-lasting battery, quick wired charging, and a variety of charging modes.
Our test results show that the Xperia 1 Iii’s 4,500mAh battery lasts well for a smartphone, even with heavy use. In fact, it lasted for 2 hours and 40 minutes on a single charge.
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