Sony has one of the strangest approaches to phone launches in the industry, almost making OnePlus's habit of revealing everything before the full reveal seem reasonable, because while the Sony Xperia 5 III was announced in April, only now , nine months later, is available for purchase in the United States.(*5*)
The phone costs €999.99 and is available in green or black. If you pick it up direct from Sony before the end of February, you'll also receive a free pair of Sony WF-1000XM3 headphones, along with 43,200 Call of Duty: Mobile points. Purchases also include four free months of Amazon Music.(*5*)
All of that might help cushion the blow a bit, but this phone is basically nine months old, as its packaging tech was impressive when it was announced (like a Snapdragon 888 chipset, a 6.1-inch, 1080 x 2520, 120Hz display, and a triple-lens camera). ), but not as noticeable in 2022.(*5*)
In our 4-star review, we praised the battery life, performance, and "balanced and nuanced" camera (the highlight being a dual-lens telephoto system that lets you use two different zoom levels).(*5 *)
However, we also note that there is no wireless charging, the design is a bit worn and the phone is quite expensive, and that was nine months ago, so the price hasn't gotten more acceptable since then.(*5*)
To be fair, it wasn't just the US that waited: the rest of the world didn't get the Sony Xperia 5 III until October, so it was a long wait everywhere, further accentuating the rarity of the Sony Xperia 5 III launch. Sony's strategy, but it's been a long wait in the US.(*XNUMX*)
(*5*)(Image credit: TechRadar)
Analysis: Sony Xperia 5 IV could be in a few months
This extraordinarily long wait leaves the Sony Xperia 5 III in a difficult position, as it is very likely that the Sony Xperia 5 IV will be presented soon, possibly in April, since it would be a year after the Xperia 5 III. It probably won't be priced much higher either.(*5*)
This could make the Sony Xperia 5 III a tough sell, though given Sony's general trends you probably won't be able to buy the next model for a long time; just look at it with envy and maybe you'll settle for the lower Xperia 5 III.(*5*)
Not only does it compete with other Sony phones, it also has competition from other early 2022 flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S22 and OnePlus 10 lines. These phones are expected to have (or are known to have in the case of the OnePlus 10 Pro ) newer and better chipsets, and will likely have more modern specs in other areas as well.(*5*)
Still, Sony's dual-lens telephoto lens is something we haven't seen elsewhere yet, and the Sony Xperia 5 III's fairly small form factor might also appeal to some buyers.(*5*)