Sony Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 Detailed features evolution, and specifications
On April 14, 2021, Sony officially announced the full lineup of new Xperia smartphones for 2021 in Tokyo and introduced the industry’s first ultra-flagship smartphone to support 4K HDR 120Hz OLED display and variable periscopic telephoto lens. Sony unveiled three phones for the 2021 line-up includes Xperia 1 Mark 3, Xperia 5 Mark 3, and Xperia 10 Mark 3. We will discuss Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 here, Xperia 10 Mark 3 will be in a separate post. Check this promotional videos first.
Both Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 offer a rich collection of features that will enrich the user experience with a host of new features in this generation of Xperia 1 and 5 series flagships, whether you are a photographer, enthusiast, movie lover, or gamer. The following highlights are introduced:
- The world’s first smartphone to combine a periscopic telescopic zoom lens with a Dual-PD (Dual Photodiode) element.
- Real-time Eye Tracking Focus” for portraits and animals, with industry-leading “Real-time Object Tracking Focus” feature, which enables fast and accurate continuous autofocus for all lenses.
- 20fps ultra-high-speed continuous shooting, enhanced low-light shooting, and pure, low-noise night shots thanks to the BIONZ X image processing system.
- New AI ultra-high-resolution zoom technology for exquisite image detail reproduction and perfect image clarity.
- Photography Pro professional photo mode evolves again with a new basic mode and a new camera photo mode integrated into one.
- Xperia 1 III is the world’s first smartphone with a 4K HDR 120Hz screen refresh rate and the first front screen glass made of the latest Gorilla Glass Victus.
- Advanced theater-quality surround sound speakers with 40% more sound volume than the previous generation while eliminating body vibrations.
- Upgraded game enhancers, including a new audio equalizer, optimized microphone, and 120fps high frame rate recording.
- The world’s first smartphone to play 360 live sound music directly from the phone’s speakers, delivering live music-like effects.
- New 360 spatially simulated sound that elevates stereo music into a 360 surround sound experience for an immersive experience.
- Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III both feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G processing platform
- 4500mAh battery with increased capacity and a 30W fast charger that delivers 50% power in 30 minutes and Smart Charge mode that extends battery life up to three years.
What Sony Xperia Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3, Brings this time?
Industry-leading Alpha camera expertise
The Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 have been developed in collaboration with the Alpha family of professional camera engineers and have received widespread consumer acclaim for their industry-leading autofocus technology. The Xperia 5 Mark 3 also features a new “Object Tracking Focus” feature that allows you to clearly capture a moving subject in a variety of shooting situations by simply touching the subject in the frame.
The Xperia 1 Mark 3 offers a higher level of shooting functionality for the perfect photography experience, with an upgrade to “Real-time Object Tracking Focus” that allows you to take clear, in-focus photos of even the most difficult to capture moving objects. The 3D iToF distance sensor not only accurately measures distance, but also accurately detects, continuously focuses, and tracks the subject even when it is briefly out of frame.
Besides, both Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 offer continuous high-speed autofocus with 60 autofocus and AF/AE tracking calculations per second, resulting in the world’s first high-speed continuous shooting capability of up to 20fps for ideal, sharp focus, and exposure results that are comparable to those of professional sports cameras. The BIONZ X image processor enhances high-speed continuous shooting in low-light conditions for unprecedentedly pure, low-noise night shots.
New periscopic telephoto zoom lens exceeds expectations
The Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 lead the industry with the world’s first combination of a periscopic telephoto zoom lens and Dual PD sensor, providing high-speed autofocus at focal lengths of up to 105mm. Instantly and precisely focus to capture the beauty of details in a moment.
Photographers can choose from 16mm, 24mm, 70mm, or 105mm focal lengths to explore a wide range of photographic possibilities when capturing beautiful landscapes, portraits, or animals. The Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 also continue to use ZEISS optics tuned specifically for Xperia phones, plus ZEISS T* Coating, which reduces reflected light and enhances contrast for superior color reproduction.
Endless Creative Possibilities
The new Xperia flagship features “AI Ultra High-Resolution Zoom”, which utilizes Sony’s AI processing technology to exquisitely restore image details and perfectly preserve image clarity.
Inheriting its predecessor’s Photo Pro mode, the Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3, developed in collaboration with professional photographers, feature an interface similar to that of the Alpha camera, with more manual settings, including ISO, shutter speed, EV value, support for RAW shooting, and a separate shutter button (The Xperia 1 Mark 3 has a more embossed shutter button).
The Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 have integrated camera modes in one, combining Photo and General modes for quick selection of many convenient shooting functions, including touch shutter, portrait positioning, artistic bokeh effect, panorama mode, and more.
They both have been updated and enhanced with Optical SteadyShot and FlawlessEye technologies, along with ultra-high readout speed of the image sensor and Sony’s original optical image algorithm to ensure smooth and stable video recording in any scene. Smooth, stable, and shake-free.
Reproduce a theater-quality widescreen viewing experience
The Xperia 1 Mark 3 features a 6.5″ 21:9 CinemaWide 4K HDR OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, while the Xperia 5 Mark 3 features a 6.1″ 21:9 CinemaWide FHD+ HDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Both new Xperia flagship devices take users deep into an unparalleled immersive viewing experience to fully immerse themselves in their favorite movies or TV shows.
Watching movies in “Powered by CineAlta” mode gives users a visually entertaining experience with the original colors created by the director, using a professionally calibrated OLED screen with precise white balance and the same level of color rendering as Sony’s professional monitors commonly used by Hollywood studios. Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 both use a 10bit color depth gradient display (8bit+2bit smoothing) for more detailed and natural color gradient and support BT.2020 ultra-wide color gamut.
The Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III create an extraordinary audio-visual experience that benefits from the same X1 for mobile image processing technology as their predecessors, allowing more users to experience BRAVIA HDR Remaster, which ensures that all audio and video content is perfectly rendered, with clearer contrast, richer colors, and more refined details for streaming video and audio. Also, with Dolby Atmos Dolby Atmos, the audio tuning continues to work with Sony Pictures Entertainment to deliver immersive live music effects with headphones or directly with the new built-in theater-quality front stereo dual-speaker playback.
The key to victory for gamers
With the latest flagships, Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3, gamers have a key advantage in the game. With a 21:9 widescreen for in-depth gameplay and a 120Hz refresh rate on both new flagships, the gameplay is not only crisp and clearer but also a 240Hz touch sampling rate for more accurate character responses, giving you the edge in competitive games.
Another new feature of Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 is the white balance adjustment function, which makes the visual experience more comfortable and prolongs the enjoyment of games. can more easily find the enemy hiding in the dark.
The Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III deliver a superior visual and immersive listening experience with minimal latency when connected to a 3.5mm headphone jack. The new sound effects equalizer allows users to control, turn up or down the sound of footsteps, gunshots, and other sounds, making it easier to hear opponents approaching and react early. For team battles, the optimized microphone helps communicate clearly and reduces background noise based on the headset category.
Players can also record and relive their victories at high frame rates of up to 120fps. Regardless of the game selected, the “30-second playback recording” feature will automatically record the first 30 seconds of gameplay so that players can leave behind the moment of victory and share it online with friends and other players.
The built-in HS power control ensures gaming performance by providing direct power to the phone system instead of charging the battery, reducing the heat inside the phone, and preventing it from heating up.
Professional Cinematography
Cinematography Pro (powered by CineAlta) offers more dynamic narrative styles, including dramatic 4K HDR 120fps slow-motion video recording, up to 5x slow-motion shooting, and playback when set at 24fps, and a 21:9 aspect ratio. When shooting at the 21:9 aspect ratio, you can also choose to record at different speeds such as 24/25/30/60fps to create more video expression styles.
Eight preset color style filters are built in to change the mood of the film and bring out more image styles with professional creative tools. Besides, Sony’s unique Smart Wind Noise Filter technology utilizes award-winning audio separation technology to reduce the level of wind interference during recording.
Both Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 add new features to the interface to better suit the needs of video creators, including assistance in managing workflow, easy checking of available internal storage and length of recording time, and easy viewing of specific clips so that creators can easily apply different clips to other works. Details of each clip’s settings include resolution, FPS, filter, lens, stabilizer, WB, ISO, shutter angle/speed, focus, volume level, and more. Besides, swipe left and right on the screen to playback clips, which helps users organize their video library.
High quality sound like being there
The immersive music experience that audiophiles love is right here on Xperia’s newest flagship phone, which not only works with Sony Music Entertainment to tune its sound features but also features unique hardware decoding technology.
Xperia’s newest flagship phones are tuned with Sony Music Entertainment and feature unique hardware decoding technology, making the Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 the first smartphones in the world to play 360 live sound directly through the speakers. Users enjoy an immersive, realistic listening experience, whether through the new theater-quality front-facing stereo speakers or using wired or wireless headphones as if they were in a live concert or the studio with the artist.
The new “360 Spatial Simulation Sound” feature works perfectly to upgrade the left and right dual-channel stereo directly into 360-degree surround sound for both own music and streaming services, creating an even better listening experience.
Use theater-quality front stereo speakers or wired or wireless headphones to listen to high-quality music for a more enjoyable listening experience. The new theater-quality front-facing stereo speakers reproduce the soundstage perfectly and are 40% louder than their predecessors, and the new speaker box design structure improves sound pressure and eliminates vibration.
Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 not only support Hi-Resolution audio and wireless music listening but also continue to incorporate the latest DSEE Ultimate digital sound restoration technology, which uses Sony’s AI technology to automatically optimize audio frequencies and bit rates, so that every track can be close to Hi-Res high-resolution audio, whether playing your music or streaming music, provides the highest standard of sound quality enjoyment.
5G speed in your hands
The Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G processor, which combines 5G and Wi-Fi to set the smartphone performance benchmark with Qualcomm Kryo 680 CPU for 25% more performance and Qualcomm Adreno 660 GPU for 25% more performance. Adreno 660 GPU delivers a 35 percent improvement in image rendering performance over the previous generation.
The new Smart connectivity feature uses Sony’s deep learning engine (neural network database) to analyze Wi-Fi signals and predict potential short-term connectivity problems. The Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 evaluate the quality of available Wi-Fi signals before connecting to the network to avoid troublesome connections to invalid signals and automatically switch to mobile data if Wi-Fi connectivity is predicted to be interrupted.
The Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 both have a large 4,500mAh battery that allows for a full day of uninterrupted use, and they feature multiple charging functions for convenience and extended battery life. The included XZQ-UC1 30W fast charger can get you up to 50% in just 30 minutes, and Xperia’s Adaptive Charging technology extends battery life to a maximum of three years (compared to two years for the previous generation), monitoring the phone’s condition while charging to ensure the battery is running at full capacity. Besides, Xperia 1 Mark 3 offers wireless charging and power-sharing, allowing it to be used as a wireless charger and as a charging source for other devices.
Great looks and great features inside and out
The Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 are designed by a team of designers, and the Xperia 1 Mark 3 features bold and distinctive design features using the finest materials, from the matte glass on the back of the device to the blast-resistant metal frame. The Xperia 5 Mark 3 features Corning’s sixth-generation Gorilla Glass mirror on both the front and back, providing a perfect mirror finish and metal frame. Both models are also IP65/68 rated for maximum water and dust resistance.
In response to the busy lifestyle of multi-taskers, both Xperia 1 Mark 3 and Xperia 5 Mark 3 have been upgraded with a “hover window” feature, which allows you to easily handle new tasks through a small floating window and then return to your original work at any time. When paired with Sony headphones, you can use the Side Sense side control menu to directly access the functions of the Sony | Headphones Connect app.
Sony Xperia 1 Mark 3 Specifications
- Dimensions: 165x71x8.2mm, weight 187g, IP65/68 dustproof and waterproof, hybrid dual SIM, battery 4500mAh.
- Fingerprint: Fingerprint recognition and power button in one.
- Display: 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED display, supports 120Hz high refresh, 240Hz dynamic compensation, 240Hz touch sampling rate, DCI-P3 100%, ITU-R BT.2020, D65 white point, 10bit color, X1 for Mobile display technology, CineAlta Master Mode.
- Protection: Gorilla Victus glass on the front and Gorilla 6 on the back.
- Camera: Prime 12MP 1/1.7 Exmor RS F1.7 24mm; Telephoto 12MP 1/2.9 Exmor RS supports 70/105mm conversion, F2.3 (70mm), F2.8 (105mm); Wide-angle 12MP 1/2.5 Exmoe RA F2.2. 16mm field of view 124 degrees; all three lenses with Zeiss lens, T* coating, 3D iToF focus support, dual PD, RGB-IR, OIS optical stabilization, hybrid zoom support 12.5x, AI super resolution zoom, JPG + RAW shooting.
- Video: CinemaPro supports 4K HDR video at 24, 25, 30, 60 and 120fps, OIS+EIS electronic stabilization with Flawless Eye and 5-axis stabilization.
- With 3.5mm headphone jack, support 360RA hardware decoding, full range stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, DSEE Ultimate, Qualcomm aptX HD and LDAC, still supports Dynamic Vibration System
- Storage specifications: 12GB RAM, 256/512GB ROM expandable.
- Fast charging 30W, battery health monitoring can guarantee 3 years of battery health, Wi-Fi 6, GPS, BeiDou, Galileo are supported, support Type-C 3.1 Gen 1, Bluetooth 5.2.
- Black, gray, and purple colors.
Sony Xperia 5 Mark 3 Specifications
- Dimensions: 157x68x8.2mm, weight 169g, IP65/68 dustproof and waterproof, hybrid dual SIM, battery 4500mAh, fingerprint recognition power button 2-in-1.
- Display: 6.1-inch FHD+ HDR OLED display, supports 120Hz high brush, 240Hz dynamic compensation, 240Hz touch sampling rate, DCI-P3 100%, ITU-R BT.2020, D65 white point, 10bit color, X1 for Mobile display technology, CineAlta Master Mode.
- Protection: Gorilla 6 glass on the front and back.
- Camera: Prime 12MP 1/1.7 Exmor RS F1.7 24mm; Telephoto 12MP 1/2.9 Exmor RS with 70/105mm conversion, F2.3 (70mm), F2.8 (105mm); Wide-angle 12MP 1/2.5 Exmoe RA F2.2. 16mm field of view 124 degrees; all three lenses are equipped with Zeiss lenses, T* coating, dual PD, RGB-IR, OIS optical stabilization, hybrid zoom support 12.5x, AI super resolution zoom, JPG + RAW shooting.
- Video: CinemaPro supports 4K HDR video at 24, 25, 30, 60 and 120fps, OIS+EIS electronic stabilization with Flawless Eye and 5-axis stabilization.
- With 3.5mm headphone jack, support 360RA hardware decoding, full range stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, DSEE Ultimate, Qualcomm aptX HD and LDAC, still supports Dynamic Vibration System
- Storage specifications: 8GB RAM, 256GB ROM expandable.
- Fast charging 30W (does not support wireless charging), battery health monitoring can guarantee 3 years of battery health, Wi-Fi 6, GPS, BeiDou, Galileo are supported, support Type-C 3.1 Gen 1, Bluetooth 5.2.
- Black, green and pink colors.
