The Sony Xperia 5 III packs almost the entire Xperia 1 III’s goodies right into a smaller bundle.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The Sony Xperia 5 III is additional proof that the Tokyo-based firm is not off course, delivering utilitarian telephones with facilities finest appreciated by photographers, audiophiles, filmmakers and inventive sorts. None of Sony’s telephones will fold or bend. They do not have fashionable finishes or a menagerie of colours. The Xperia 5 III is available in black and inexperienced, which is as wild as Sony will get. But I swoon when a white Sony Xperia field crosses my evaluation desk.

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When Sony determined to deliver its Alpha mirrorless digicam staff’s smarts to the Xperia line, many questioned if the viewers for such a cellphone could be too area of interest. People requested comparable questions on gaming telephones just like the Asus ROG Phone 5, and about foldable telephones just like the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Motorola Razr (2020). Instead of watering down its strategy to attraction to extra folks, the Xperia 5 III is a third-gen cellphone that is the closest Sony has come to nailing what its viewers desires.For all intents and functions the Xperia 5 III is a smaller, extra inexpensive model of the Xperia 1 III. Both telephones have been introduced in April 2021, however till now solely the Xperia 1 III has been that can be purchased within the US. Because the telephones are so comparable, I wish to give attention to the variations between the 2 and clarify why I believe the Xperia 5 III succeeds the place the Xperia 1 III falls quick. If you need the complete scoop on all the main options, try my in-depth evaluation of the Xperia 1 III.

LikeOne of the final really small Android phonesGreat dual-telephoto lensAndroid 12 is a delight on the Xperia 5 IIIBattery life is significantly better than Xperia 1 III

Don’t LikePrice remains to be excessive for what you getDisplay might be brighterLacks wi-fi chargingSelfie digicam feels forgotten

The Xperia 5 III’s $1,000 worth (£899, which converts roughly to AU$1,390) places it in direct competitors with the iPhone 13 Pro and Pixel 6 Pro which prices $100 much less. Even although I am keen on the Xperia 5 III, I believe extra folks would do higher with the iPhone or Pixel. If you are a photographer or videographer, and may cope with the blended low-light outcomes from the Xperia, take into account the Xperia 5 III. If you utilize Sony’s Alpha cameras, the Xperia 5 III is price contemplating only for the consistency of taking pictures expertise, particularly if you happen to discover it discounted.Speaking of reductions, Sony is providing a bundled low cost: Buy an Xperia 5 III earlier than Feb. 27, 2022 and get a pair of Sony WF-1000XM3 wi-fi noise cancelling earbuds (a $200 worth) and 43,200 Call of Duty: Mobile CP Points (a $500 worth) without spending a dime.The Xperia 5 III’s cameras vs. the iPhone 13 Pro and Pixel 6 ProWhen I have a look at how small the Xperia 5 III, I’m astonished by Sony’s technical achievements. The slim cellphone homes a horizontal telephoto digicam with precise lens components that transfer. It can change between the full-frame equal of a 70mm lens (2.9x optical zoom) and a 105mm lens (4.4x optical zoom).Photos throughout the entire rear cameras look good. I’m particularly shocked by how “film-like” footage from the telephoto digicam seem. The picture high quality seems pure in comparison with the clinically rendered images taken by computational reliant telephones just like the iPhone 13 Pro and Pixel 6 Pro. Sony’s coloration is correct and gorgeously rendered.This was taken with the primary rear digicam.
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Taken at 1x optical zoom with the primary rear digicam.
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Taken at 2.9x optical zoom with the telephoto digicam.
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The prime of Salesforce Tower in San Francisco taken with the telephoto digicam at 4.9x optical zoom.
Patrick Holland/CNET
An workplace constructing taken at 1x optical zoom with the primary rear digicam.
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Taken with the primary rear digicam.
Mikaela Cortopassi
The Bay Bridge taken at 1x optical zoom with the primary rear digicam.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The Bay Bridge taken at 2.9x optical zoom with the telephoto digicam.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The Bay Bridge taken at 4.4x optical zoom with the telephoto digicam.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Taken at 1x optical zoom with the primary rear digicam.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Grace Church in Greenville, South Carolina, taken by a window at 4.4x optical zoom on the telephoto digicam.
Patrick Holland/CNET
All of this comes from Sony’s strategy at incorporating the {hardware} and sensor know-how of its profitable Alpha line of mirrorless cameras. And the Xperia 5 III stands in stark distinction to the machine studying and synthetic intelligence utilized by Apple and Google to energy their computational photos. The iPhone and Pixel have a point-and-shoot simplicity that may serve extra folks higher. But yearly Sony will get nearer to what Apple and Google can do whereas providing a far richer seize expertise.It’s in medium and low mild the place the Xperia 5 III hits a wall. There is not a devoted Night Mode that mixes a number of exposures to create a brighter, sharper picture. Sony is doing a little bit of processing however nowhere on the extent of Apple and Google. I’m wondering what sort of near-perfect cellphone digicam might be born if Sony mixed its stellar lenses and sensors with even half the computational pictures chops of the iPhone or the Pixel.Here is a Night mode picture taken with an iPhone 13 Pro.
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Here’s the identical home taken on the identical time with the Sony Xperia 5 III.Xperia 5 III vs. Xperia 1 III: The differencesLet’s begin with worth. The $1,300 Xperia 1 III is $300 greater than the Xperia 5 III. Physically, the Xperia 5 III is smaller and lighter. On the again, each telephones have Gorilla Glass 6, although the Xperia 1 III has a matte end, which I choose. Both telephones assist 5G, and each have an IP68 ranking for dust- and water-resistance and a headphone jack — the latter is particularly uncommon for many high-end telephones.The Xperia 1 III helps wi-fi charging which is absent on the Xperia 5 III. And, most notably, the Xperia 1 III has a bigger 6.5-inch 4K show with a 120Hz refresh price. The Xperia 5 III has a 6.1-inch 1,080p show with a 120Hz refresh price. I imagine the display screen decision distinction and smaller measurement advantages the Xperia 5 III. I can already hear folks saying, “Are you crazy? 4K is a higher resolution and better than HD!”On the left is the Sony Xperia 5 III and within the center is the Xperia 1 III.
Sony
The 4K show on the Xperia 1 III is gorgeous, however I’d say the identical for the FHD display screen on the Xperia 5 III — particularly contemplating the smaller measurement. The true profit is within the battery life. The Xperia 1 III has a less-than-average battery life and lots of it is because its 4K show is locked in at both 60Hz or 120Hz. The Xperia 5 III’s decrease decision permits it to deal with 120Hz higher, so its battery life is significantly better. But to place issues in perspective, the Xperia 5 III’s battery life is nice however not nice. I additionally want the Xperia 5 III’s display screen was brighter. There have been just a few occasions once I was out within the solar attempting to take a photograph and had bother making out what was on the display screen.I want the Xperia 1 III and 5 III had an adjustable refresh price as an possibility. It’d be even higher if that they had LTPO screens, like those discovered on the iPhone 13 Pro, Pixel 6 Pro and Galaxy S21 Ultra. I notice Sony is pushing boundaries, particularly with the Xperia 1 III having the primary 4K 120Hz show, so perhaps I’m wishing for issues that are not technically attainable but.

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Both telephones have a Snapdragon 888 processor, however the Xperia 5 III has 8GB of RAM whereas the 1 III has 12GB. In use, the Xperia 5 III would not get as sizzling because the Xperia 1 III. (But for context, I examined the Xperia 1 III in South Carolina in July whereas I examined the Xperia 5 III in San Francisco in January.)Both telephones have equivalent cameras, together with a less-than-stellar selfie digicam. On the Xperia Pro-I, Sony had an non-obligatory tiny magnetic monitor accent that allowed you to make use of the again cameras for selfies and movies. On the subsequent era of Xperia telephones, a greater front-facing digicam could be welcome, particularly for video calls and chats.Android 12 is great on the Xperia 5 IIIIn October, Sony launched the Xperia Pro-I. One of my favourite options was the inclusion of the brand new Video Pro app which provided superior video controls that have been extra pleasant than those within the Cinema Pro app. Sony will not be including the Video Pro app to the Xperia 1 III or 5 III, which is a disgrace. It’s an app I used way more than the Cinema Pro app once I examined the $1,700 Xperia Pro-I.In phrases of the Xperia 5 III, I can both file video with the Cinema Pro app or in Basic mode within the Photo Pro app.My evaluation unit had Android 12 which I discovered to be an ideal match for the Xperia 5 III.
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Aside from that omission, the Xperia 5 III comes with Android 11. My evaluation unit had Android 12, which was improbable. I’m not saying Android 11 and Sony’s mild customizations have been boring, however Android 12 with its large button-friendly interface are a greater stability to Sony’s utilitarian {hardware}. In my time with the Xperia 5 III, apps and animations have been easy and any bugs have been largely nonexistent.The Xperia 5 III is nice for the proper personAt the top of the day, I just like the Xperia 5 III. The 5-series telephones from Sony are nearly all the time a few of my favorites. And if you’d like a strong Android cellphone that provides knowledgeable stage of management in the case of capturing images and movies, you’ll be able to’t do significantly better.