In an online event today, Sony unveiled two new Android smartphones with the launch of the Xperia 1 III (Xperia 1 Mark 3) and Xperia 5 III (Xperia 5 Mark 3). Both phones pack mostly identical hardware but differ in size. The Xperia 1 III leads the charge as a full-fledged flagship while the Xperia 5 III tries to offer the same flagship experience in a compact package. Sony also launched the Xperia 10 III at the same event.

Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III: Specifications

Specification

Xperia 1 III

Xperia 5 III

Dimensions & Weight

  • 165 x 71 x 8.2mm
  • 186g
  • 157 x 68 x 8.2mm
  • 168g

Display

  • 6.5-inch 4K OLED HDR (3840 x 1644)
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 240Hz touch sampling rate
  • 100% DCI-P3
  • HDR BT.2020 (Rec.2020)
  • D65 White point
  • 21:9 aspect ratio
  • Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
  • 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED HDR (2520 x 1080)
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 240Hz refresh rate
  • 100% DCI-P3
  • HDR BT.2020 (Rec.2020)
  • D65 White point
  • 21:9 aspect ratio
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 6

SoC

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 888:
    • 1x Kryo 680 Prime Core @ 2.84GHz
    • 3x Kryo 680 Performance Cores @ 2.4GHz
    • 4x Kryo 680 Efficiency Cores @ 1.8GHz
  • Adreno 660
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 888:
    • 1x Kryo 680 Prime Core @ 2.84GHz
    • 3x Kryo 680 Performance Cores @ 2.4GHz
    • 4x Kryo 680 Efficiency Cores @ 1.8GHz
  • Adreno 660

RAM & Storage

  • 12GB RAM
  • 256GB storage
  • MicroSD card support
  • 8GB RAM
  • 128GB storage
  • MicroSD card support

Battery & Charging

  • 4,500mAh
  • 30W fast wired charging
  • Wireless charging support
  • 4,500mAh
  • 30W fast wired charging

Security

Side-mounted fingerprint scanner

Side-mounted fingerprint scanner

Rear Camera(s)

  • Camera setup:
    • 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
    • Quaternary: 3D iToF sensor
  • Features:
    • ZEISS optics
    • 20fps AF/AE tracking burst with noise reduction
    • 60fps continuous AF/AE calculations
    • Real-time Eye AF
    • AI super resolution zoom
    • Optical SteadyShot with FlawlessEye
    • Cinema Pro 4K 120fps recording with up to 5x slow motion
  • Camera setup:
    • 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, 1/2.9", OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF
  • Features:
    • ZEISS optics
    • 20fps AF/AE tracking burst with noise reduction
    • 60fps continuous AF/AE calculations
    • Real-time Eye AF
    • AI super resolution zoom
    • Optical SteadyShot with FlawlessEye
    • Cinema Pro 4K 120fps recording with up to 5x slow motion

Front Camera(s)

8MP

8MP

Port(s)

  • USB Type-C
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • USB Type-C
  • 3.5mm headphone jack

Audio

  • Full range front-firing stereo speakers
  • Dolby Atmos
  • Hi-Res Audio
  • 360 Reality Audio (through speakers)
  • 360 Spatial Sound (over headphones)
  • Full range front-firing stereo speakers
  • Dolby Atmos
  • Hi-Res Audio
  • 360 Reality Audio (through speakers)
  • 360 Spatial Sound (over headphones)

Connectivity

  • 5G (Sub-6Hz)
  • Bluetooth 5.x
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band WiFi
  • NFC
  • GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
  • 5G (Sub-6Hz)
  • Bluetooth 5.x
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band WiFi
  • NFC
  • GPS, GLONASS, Galileo

Software

Android 11 out-of-the-box

Android 11 out-of-the-box

Other Features

  • IP68 water and dust resistance
  • DualShock 4 direct connection
  • Dedicated camera shutter button
  • IP68 water and dust resistance
  • DualShock 4 direct connection
  • Dedicated camera shutter button

Starting with the Xperia 1 III, the latest Sony flagship is sticking with the same boxy design as its predecessor — for better or for worse. Sony continues to promote the tall 21:9 aspect ratio, a notch-less display, 3.5mm audio jack, and true dual stereo speakers.

Xperia 1 III shown in black, purple and grey colors

The Xperia 1 III sports a 6.5-inch 4K OLED panel with a 120Hz screen refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate. The Xperia 5 III on the other hand sports a smaller 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Both phones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, paired with 8GB / 12GB RAM and 128GB / 256GB storage.

Xperia 1 III's dedicated shutter key

Moving to the camera side of things, the Xperia 1 III has a 12MP f/1.7 primary sensor with 24mm equivalent focal length and large 1.8-micron pixels. This conventional camera design offers much faster read-out speeds than the current Quad-Bayer sensors, allowing Sony to enable features like 20fps burst shooting, 60fps continuous autofocus and auto-exposure calculations, and Dual-Pixel PDAF. The 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide sensor with a 16mm equivalent focal length is also unchanged. Gone is the old telephotos sensor, which has been replaced by a 12MP periscope sensor with a variable 70mm-105mm equivalent focal length, OIS and PDAF. It’s a shame the phone is still using the same 8MP low-res front shooter. The Xperia 5 III has the exact same camera setup but drops the 3D ToF sensor that's available on its bigger sibling.

Xperia 5 III shown in a presentation slide

Both phones have upgraded 4,500mAh batteries (up from 4,000mAh) and support 30W fast charging along with wireless charging.

Sony continues to put a big emphasis on the audio experience and as such both the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III come with a 3.5mm audio jack, full-range front-facing stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, and Hi-Res Audio support, 360 Reality Audio through speakers, and 360 Spatial Sound.

Other notable highlights of the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III include IP68 dust and water protection, a side-mounted fingerprint reader, NFC, Bluetooth 5.x, 5G support, and dual SIM.

Pricing & Availability

The Sony Xperia 1 III comes in Frosted Black, Frosted Purple. Meanwhile, the Xperia 5 III comes in Black, Pink, and Green colors. Both phones will be available in "early summer", with the exact availability and pricing info yet to be revealed by the company.