Sony Xperia 1 III
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OS: Android 13
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Display: OLED
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CPU: Octa-core 2.84 GHz
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Camera: 12 MP (wide)
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Memory: 12GB, 256GB/512GB
Sony Xperia 1 III — The World’s First 4K 120Hz Smartphone for Enthusiasts
The Sony Xperia 1 III is one of the most unique and feature-rich flagship smartphones ever built, officially announced in April 2021 and released in July 2021. Designed for photography enthusiasts, audiophiles, and power users who demand the absolute best, it delivers a truly one-of-a-kind smartphone experience that no other brand has been able to replicate.
The Xperia 1 III features the world’s first 4K 120Hz OLED display at 6.5 inches with a stunning 21:9 CinemaWide aspect ratio, HDR support, and Sony’s X1 for Mobile remastering engine borrowed from its award-winning Bravia TV lineup. The result is one of the most breathtaking displays ever put on a smartphone.
The Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III are the first phones in the world with variable telephoto lenses — a groundbreaking innovation that allows the camera to shift between two focal lengths using physically moving lens elements. The quad-camera system includes a 12MP main sensor, 12MP ultrawide, and 12MP variable telephoto lens, with full manual controls powered by Sony’s Alpha camera expertise.
The Xperia 1 III is powered by the Snapdragon 888 5G chipset and comes with 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The 4,500mAh battery supports 30W fast charging and wireless charging, while the rare inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack and stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos make it a dream device for audio lovers.
The phone carries a dual IP65/IP68 water and dust resistance rating and features a convenient side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Available in Frosted Black, Frosted Gray, and Frosted Purple, the Sony Xperia 1 III launched at $1,299 — a premium price for a truly premium experience.
Specs
Release Date
| Announced | 2021, April 14 |
| Market Availability | Available. Released 2021, August 25 |
Network
| Network Technologies | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| Network Technology 2G | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| Network Technology 3G | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| Network Technology 4G |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - Europe 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - USA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - Asia |
| Network Technology 5G |
1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - USA 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Asia SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA (specific) |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
Body
| Dimensions | 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm (6.50 x 2.80 x 0.32 in) |
| Weight | 186 g / 187.1 g (mmWave) (6.56 oz) |
| Materials | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Colors | Frosted Black, Frosted Gray, Frosted Purple |
| Other features | IP65/IP68 dust tight and water resistant (low pressure water jets; immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Display
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 |
| size | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Screen Resolution | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Other features | Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases |
Performance
| Operating System | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| CPU Speed | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Gpu graphics processor | Adreno 660 |
Memory
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) Internal |
| RAM | 12GB RAM, 12GB RAM |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB UFS 3.X |
Camera
| Rear camera | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.3, 70mm (telephoto), f/2.8, 105mm (telephoto), 1/2.9", dual pixel PDAF, 3x/4.4x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.6", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Camera Features | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Camera Selfie | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm |
| Features | HDR Video |
| Video camera Selfie | 1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS |
Battery
| Capacity | Li-Po 4500 mAh Charging |
| Fast battery charging | 30W wired, PD, |
| Other battery features | 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless |
Sound
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers 3.5mm jack |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
| Other Sound features | Hi-Res audio Dynamic vibration system Snapdragon Sound |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi Technology | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive Positioning |
| GPS | GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, video output |
| Radio | No |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| Additional features | Native Sony Alpha camera support |
Phone Price
| Mobile price in Europe (€) | About 360 EUR |
Model
| Model | XQBC62/V, XQBC52V.UKCX, SO-51B, SOG03, A101SO, XQ-BC62, XQ-BC72, XQ-BC52, XQ-BC01, XQ-BC11, XQ-BC21, XQ-BC72 |
Our Tests
| Performance | AnTuTu: 607423 (v8) GeekBench: 3515 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
| Display | 620 nits max brightness (measured) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Battery | Endurance rating 82h |
