Sony makes cameras for both Apple and Samsung, but the optics hardware in their own line of Xperia flagships has lagged behind the industry. Similarly, their value has never been competitive. Could 2021 be the year when Sony turns things around? Sony Xperia 1 III, the first flagship from Sony this year, was just leaked online. And it looks promising.
Steve Hemmerstoffer, better known as @OnLeaks, published a report containing product images and specifications for the upcoming Xperia 1 III. Sony has tweaked the design from last year.
We’re looking at well-defined lines, sharp corners, and flat edges. The shell is a blend of metal and glass. A pill-box camera housing rests in its corner. It looks no different from last year’s design, but note the third lens is square-shaped.
It’s a periscope-telephoto lens that should offer at least 5x optical zoom. The triple camera system is co-engineered with ZEISS optics. Plus, there’s an additional 3D ToF sensor to capture depth information. The housing is protected with ZEISS T coating.
Instead of sticking the front camera in a hole or a notch, Sony Xperia 1 III embeds it in narrow bezels. It’s a clean, refreshing design in a sea of smartphone screens with intrusions. We’re looking at a 6.5” OLED display with a tall 21:9 aspect ratio, 4K resolution, and HDR support.
Another welcome feature is the onboard 3.5mm headphone jack. Sony’s flagships are perhaps the only ones that still retain the port. The fingerprint scanner is merged with the power button. Also, the Xperia 1 III comes with an extra mappable shortcut key. Now that Sony has caught up on the hardware front, the next logical move should be stepping up their point-and-shoot imaging software.
