Sony Xperia 1 III 256GB 5G Factory Unlocked Smartphone, Violet [U.S. Official w/Warranty]

Sony is currently the underdog in the Android mobile market. Their sales have dwindled (though the division now turns annual profits). They don't get anywhere near the mind-share of Samsung or Apple, or even companies like One Plus. Practically every tech reviewer out there has been saying "this phone is overpriced."So why do I like this phone? Am I the weird one who thinks it's worth the money?I don't think so - and here's my case.USER EXPERIENCEThe Snapdragon 888 SoC and 12gb of system RAM mean this phone absolutely flies through Android 11 (Sony has promised a minimum of 2 OS updates as well). The user experience is fast and buttery, and it can handle even the most taxing games with aplomb. The 256gb of on board memory means you will likely not worry about app storage or photo storage for quite some time. Android is near stock, but a raft of Sony improvements are available, such as "side sense" and multi-window switch, which make running two apps simultaneously on the tall screen a breeze.SCREEN and SPEAKERSAs you can see in the above LOTR picture, this screen is really spectacular when it comes to media. It is 21:9, and video apps intelligently zoom to fit is when using that cinematic aspect ratio. The level of detail and the pop from HDR is palpable. The screen can do 120hz in 4K resolution, but I find 60hz perfectly smooth. The speakers are the best I've heard on a mobile device. Loud, clear up to top volume, and even a little bassy. Terrific for YouTube or podcasts even if you're in, say, a noisy kitchen.CAMERASony has brought its Alpha camera interface (pictured) to the Xperia line (though not to worry, there is a standard "Basic" mode enabled by default as well). This affords the user control of basically everything - ISO, white balance, shutter speed, manual focus, and so on. The camera features four native focal lengths to shoot in - 16mm ultrawide, 24mm standard, 70mm 3.7x zoom, and 105mm 4.4x zoom (which I have demonstrated in my attached skyline pictures, all taken from the same position). Results are impressive, and make this phone a real point and shoot replacement. Eye Autofocus detection is a major boon to parents of fast moving children or pets, and it works wonderfully. The camera is also capable of 4K/120fps video, and includes the Cinema Pro app to let your inner film director fly free in 21:9 aspect ratio with all sorts of manual control of camera settings and color timing.UNIQUE FEATURESThe Xperia line has two unique selling points that are massively important to me. First and foremost is expandable storage. You can pop a 1tb micro SD card into this phone to store photos, music, movies, whatever. Also, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack - not important to some people, but for those with high quality headphones or a desire to use an external mic, this is a must. Now, I wish these features were not unique in the smartphone world, but they are now, thanks to Apple.CONCLUSIONThis phone has the same MSRP as the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It performs equally with them in terms of user experience and camera, but adds expandable storage, a 4K/120hz screen, and a headphone jack. There's even a deal currently to get free Sony noise canceling earbuds. so is this a "bad deal?" Only insofar as any current flagship is a bad deal. This phone is tailored for a specific sort of user - one who likes a lot of features, customization, and user control. If that's not you, this phone isn't for you. But if it is, I have a hard time imagining you being disappointed by it.

I have the phone for 5 months now .. coming from LG V60, which I had hard time replacing as on USA market there is only one phone what has dedicated DAC, the Asus ROG 5S, but it is not good for everyday use as there is no IP water resisyance rating on it, any water splash would kill it. So, that leaves me with only Sony Xperia 1 Mk3 as the phone to get, closest to LG V60 in my features list. Sans DAC, but has dual sim, which is very handy. Sony is very good phone overall, wish it had wi-fi calling on T-Mobile USA, wider screen, dedicated DAC, and ability to have dual sim and microsd card all in one setup. Well, other then those items in the wish list, everything else is great, screen, touch screen digitizer, camera, weigth, battery, water resistance, clear loud sound from ear speaker, speakers, charging, GUI stability, buttons, dedicated photo shutter with half-press for focus, full-press to take a picture, all is working great. Modem is strong as well, picks the radio transmission signal well for voice conversations, on T-Mobile USA and overseas carriers, very good antenna set up, works well. Overall, if you last phone was LG V60, there is nothing else on the market closer to V60. Apple makes great phones, but I like Android file system accessibility better. Samsung is crippled Apple-wanna-be on Android now. Huawei is out of reach. So, so much for the choices, Xperia 1 Mk3 or Asus ROG 5s, I had chosen Sony, need a daily phone to use, not a gaming rig. So far, works great.Case used with Mr. Shield glass is Sucnakp Case Shock Absorption Anti Scratch Heavy Duty Durable LT Black, the only case I had found with the grip similar to the old-school Speck Presidio Grip, the one with rubber grooves grips, not the shitty plastic newer ones. Great tandem, this glass and that case. Survived many drops already.update June 2023phone works great, no overheating, case holds the drops well, battery capacity holds well.