Sony Xperia 1 III review

05 July 2021


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Hildr, 08 Jul 2021You're the first one I read saying the shots from xper... moreI didn't and I wouldn't say it's "over"sharpened, while it's still fairly prominent it's still as bad as the likes of Exynos S21 Ultra or OnePlus 9 Pro. However, if you compare this phone to Pixel 5 or Mi 11 Ultra for instance, it will be clear that the shots are nowhere near as natural looking as they could've been texture rendition wise.

I consider the pixelation artifacts, blotchy noise and lost details to be far more problematic than this, though. They are not really noticeable on the main and UWA cameras but become extremely obvious as soon as you switch to 2.9/4.4x telephoto, which is quite concerning since this variable FL periscope lens is the biggest selling point of this new Xperia.

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    • Hildr
    • pnK
    • 08 Jul 2021

    Nick Tegrataker, 08 Jul 2021While Xperia's colour reproduction is commendable inde... moreYou're the first one I read saying the shots from xperia are over sharpened. All review and people are like "like of sharpness again". Which can be easily corrected with post process.

      PcM, 08 Jul 2021I really like the post-processing in Sony photos. It's... moreWhile Xperia's colour reproduction is commendable indeed, their detail rendering leaves a lot to be desired. Sharpening is still fairly strong if not over the top, diagonal lines show a weird pixelation artifacts (maybe anti-aliasing processing not working as intended? Who knows), noise reduction goes quite overboard in higher ISO settings and low contrast details tend to get quite soft. Google and Xiaomi clearly have an edge in this regard.

        Anonymous, 08 Jul 2021Well... I've had an Android TV made by Sony - never ag... moreYeah, their Android division isn't that great compare to their photography or console divisions, especially on the software. But despite all this, Sony devices are still solid option in my opinion. Especially In my country, sony no longer selling their phones to us. We have been bombarded with Chinese products since then. They are all boring af, no matter prices do you get for their stuff. Thanks God we still be able to access the international stores to buy this Sony device, not legal but worth every penny.

          wongwatt, 08 Jul 2021You'll regret it when the multiple bugs manifest thems... moreI'll find out and return it if it gives me issues. So far, all online reviewers have had a whopping zero problems with the software in their reviews so here goes nothing...

          Unless my guess is correct that an Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Pro is in the works with the return of the jack, 888+, bigger battery, and all the LTE/5G bands the 8 has...if so, I'd compromise there but they have a month to announce it.

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            • Anonymous
            • 70d
            • 08 Jul 2021

            DaFink, 08 Jul 2021Sony Smartphone's are polarizing in that regard, much ... moreNo, it's not overly ambitious. It's just a jack of all threads. It's not a bad phone, but it's not great either. Mediocre.

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              • Anonymous
              • 70d
              • 08 Jul 2021

              Anonymous, 08 Jul 2021Yep, this phone is either the best phone that's ever b... moreWhat are you talking about? I haven't seen anyone post that this phone is the worst phone ever released. It's okay, but it's a mediocre flagship phone.

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                • Hildr
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                • 08 Jul 2021

                Elvison, 08 Jul 2021"4K and 120Hz in one display, but not simultaneously&q... moreAll xperia 1 from mark I to III and beyond don't render in 4K all the time, simply because there are almost no app on the store that render in 4k. The screen is still 4k of course, so the content is upscaled (marketing say using the bravia tv technology) to 4k all the time (you don't have 3/4 of the screen turning black ;) ). On the small screen of a phone, it doesn't matter a lot, the 4k screen add a little bit of crispness to the image, be it original 4k or upscaled content.
                One issue with pentile amoled screen that are used in phone are that the subpixel arrangement make a slight color shift on the edge and blur them a little. It was an issue with 1080p screen since the apparent resolution looked lower than old LCD of the same resolution with classic RGB arrangement subpixel.
                It is not that visible now with 2k + screen, and the addition from a 4k screen is not that visible. But I would argue it's the same for 120Hz. You see it when you compare phone side by side, but on your everyday use, you completely forget about it.
                So yeah, the phone will mostly be in 2k/FHD upscaled to 4k depending on the app with the screen at 120Hz, and for some app (on my mark 1 there was like netflix, youtube and photo app) rendering in native 4k at 60 Hz. Not a big deal really.

                A note comparing power since I see a lot of claim without any reasoning about it, even if there are 4 time more pixel on a 4k screen compared to FHD, the power consumption is not that much higher: since you have 4 time more pixel, you light them up 4 time less to create the same brightness overall. So the only power consumption added is the upscaling rendering (since there are no filters to switch like on a LCD in witch the difference in resolution would create a little more difference in consumption).

                  Anonymous, 08 Jul 2021Yep, this phone is either the best phone that's ever b... moreSony Smartphone's are polarizing in that regard, much like the iPhone they are either adored or despised.

                  The truth lies not with the devout fanboys or absolute haters fervently posting away on here, but rather somewhere in between, this is neither the greatest or the worst.

                  If the review is anything to go by, it's an overly ambitious device that in some regards (and only some) fails to realise that ambition. It's not the first to be in that position, won't be the last.

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                    • Anonymous
                    • iF4
                    • 08 Jul 2021

                    LifeIsShort, 08 Jul 2021Honestly, I believe Sony has been in the right direction si... moreWell... I've had an Android TV made by Sony - never again (probably done with Android TV's overall), software issues for days. Also still have one of their av-amplifiers, a DN1080. The amp would be okay otherwise, but since it lacks a proper room correction feature among other stuff (it has gotten annoyingly outdated overall, only supports 60 Hz and that simply won't cut it) - it will make me go back to other brands. So it's quite easy to turn back from their devices, seems like a no-brainer.

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                      • Anonymous
                      • fJ5
                      • 08 Jul 2021

                      Anonymous, 08 Jul 2021Seems like many comments and complains here can be assumed ... moreYep, this phone is either the best phone that's ever been released or the worst phone ever depending on who's posting, lol.

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                        • Anonymous
                        • 2WD
                        • 08 Jul 2021

                        As far as I know, at least all of 3 recent generations of sony xperia share these weaknesses: too expensive comparing to their rivals, weak auto mode, and too-complicate-to-access pro mode

                          Honestly, I believe Sony has been in the right direction since they launch the XZ series with near-stock Android experiences. Came from xiaomi MIUi and samsung OneUI, you start to realize that there is never any good UI except the stock android it self. Recently, almost all xperia devices using battery-sucker display, and as far as I concern they never targeted to be two days with one charge driver, rather than "top-up every night is enough". Perhaps you wouldn't get dramatic color images like Samsung or amazing portrait photos like Pixel, but Sony are able to provide you fun-guaranteed camera options with this devices. Nevertheless, for that prices definitely this isn't everyone phone. But once you taste the experience of Sony devices, I'm afraid you would never turn back.

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                            • r23
                            • X%1
                            • 08 Jul 2021

                            T the Tinkerer, 06 Jul 2021Oh Sony... That battery life is pathetic. You used to be... moredude it's a 4k phone, ofc it's not gonna give that much backup with a 4500 battery

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                              • PcM
                              • srr
                              • 08 Jul 2021

                              I really like the post-processing in Sony photos. It's very natural, and many manufacturers should follow this trend. Yes it shows its weakness for tele lenses (which have obviously poorer quality than the main lens), but it's a tradeoff that I'll take.
                              The price is too high for me though :)

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                                • Anonymous
                                • 70d
                                • 08 Jul 2021

                                SuuperBaka, 07 Jul 2021I have no idea what he's going on about, you're a... moreIt's not a war. It's a massacre. Some people can't handle the truths. I want this phone to be great, but it's disappointing as expected.

                                  Jack Brazil, 07 Jul 2021Sony also lagging in terms of signal. My s21 ultra works to... moreYes the signal strength is poor on the 1 ii.
                                  GPS was incredibly unreliable on mine, the first phone I've had to lose location in years.

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                                    • AnonD-454049
                                    • PSB
                                    • 08 Jul 2021

                                    antutu 8 score as expected, sony has always been conservative with performance in a bid to improve battery life although this is an exercise in futility since the 4K screen and sd 888 are power hungry

                                      Tom, 06 Jul 2021Something must have gone wrong in the studio comparison sho... moreThat's typical of Sony's auto mode on my experience, happened all the time on my 1 ii.

                                        786, 06 Jul 2021Don't worry, since you ain't buying it, the next ... moreThat wasn't my experience with an Xperia 1 ii - Sony never fixed the multiple show-stopping bugs I had on that one.

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