The Sony Xperia 1 III is a mid-range offering from the renowned Japanese brand, but can it still make its mark given the fierceness of the competition? Read our review to find out.
What we love — Nice design, sharp screen, great battery life
The Xperia 10 III design is both classy and unique, formed in metal and glass with an unusual 21:9 aspect ratio that’s meant to be ideal for watching films or TV in widescreen. Even given this elegance it feels robust in the hand, and has an IP68 water resistance rating.
The OLED screen has a Full HD Plus resolution, boasting both strong contrast and sharp detail, and you can fine-tune it to your exact preferences via the settings. The only aspect which lets it down here is the 60Hz refresh rate, which isn’t as smooth as the 90Hz or 120Hz offerings from some rivals.
The 4500mAh battery is a real stand-out element of this phone, as it can even make it through two full days of usage before needing to be recharged, a performance unmatched by many flagship options including the Sony Xperia 1 III.
What we don’t like — Mediocre performance, 60Hz display, slow charging
When judging performance, the Xperia 10 III is undoubtedly snappier than its predecessor; however it still does lag behind the rest of the devices you could purchase at this price point, which is a letdown. Running demanding games on their highest settings might be a tough task. While other aspects of the screen are excellent, the 60Hz refresh rate is also not the best you could get for the money.
While apparently supporting 30W charging, the brick supplied in the box is rated at just 7.5W and so the handset takes an excruciating 3 hours to fully charge.
Verdict
The Sony Xperia 10 III is without doubt an unusual smartphone, and for the most part that’s actually a good thing, especially when it comes to the design and the display. However it does take its eye off the ball in a couple of key areas like performance level and fast-charging capability.