Sony’s Latest Flagship Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III Announced; Shows off First Variable Telephoto Lens

Lee Mercado, Tech Times 14 April 2021, 09:04 am

Sony officially launches Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III, the latest flagship boasting the "world's first smartphone with a variable telephoto lens paired with a Dual PD sensor."

The latest Xperia flagship phones are part of Sony's campaign to redefine the brand and target photographers, audiophiles, and creative types.

Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III Focuses On the Camera

Sony had gone all out with the new Xperia 1 III in a bid to tap features previously only offered on Sony Alpha cameras.

According to Slash Gear's Apr. 14 report, the Xperia 1 III will come with the 12-megapixel Exmor RS for a Mobile sensor capable of switching between 70 millimeters and 105 millimeters discrete focal lengths.

It is paired with a 12-megapixel f/2.2 Dual PDAF ultra-wide, a 12-megapixel f/1.7 Dual PDAF OIS wide camera, and a 3D iToF sensor for depth.

The latest feature offers users to get 2.9x and 4.4x zoom equivalents, as well as split-pixel phase detection autofocus (Dual PDAF), optical image stabilization, and the benefit of a sizable 1/2.9-inch sensor.

The camera will also feature the real-time Eye AF that allows users to capture photos of humans and animals even if they are on the move or one eye is covered.

Additionally, the Xperia 1 III will feature Optical SteadyShot with FlawlessEye for low-light video stability, AI Super Resolution Zoom, and the first real-time tracking in an Xperia phone.

All this camera power added on to Xperia 1 III will be supported with a 6.5-inch 4K OLED 21:9 display HDR support and a 120Hz refresh rate, confirming the earlier rumors.

Meanwhile, the smaller Xperia 5 III will have the same wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto cameras but passes on the Time of Flight sensor and the real-time tracking.

Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III Specs, Price, and Release Date

The new Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 5G chipset along with 12GB RAM and 8GB RAM respectively.

According to Sony's official page, both phones will come with the 256GB drive and a microSD slot for additional storage, but the Xperia 5 III has the smaller 128GB storage option.

Additionally, Sony Xperia 1 III's 6.5-inch display will come with a 240Hz touch response and 240Hz motion blur reduction and uses Gorilla Glass Victus on the front while using Gorilla Glass 6.

As for the Xperia 5 III, its display uses Gorilla Glass 6 on both sides.

(Photo : Sony Xperia Official Webpage)

To appeal to the audiophiles, the latest Xperia flagship phones will carry a 360 Reality Audio support on speakers with a 3D virtualizer.

The phones will also come with a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack that promises less distortion at max output and around 40% more output than its predecessor did, and a 4,500 mAh battery.

Both the Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III are set to release "this summer," and the prices remain unannounced, but earlier reports peg the latter's starting price at $949.