Sony Xperia 1 III Deals - August 2026
1 refurbished deal available - SIM-free from £899.00.
Sony Xperia 1 III Black deals
The Sony Xperia 1 III is in our catalog but no UK retailer currently stocks it.
Expert reviews
4.0
(4)
Color
All
Black
Storage
All
256GB
Photography and video enthusiasts who want manual control, a genuine dual-focal telephoto and a proper headphone jack, and who do not need long-term software support.
Sony Xperia 1 III SIM Free (1 deals)
Filters
Grade B
5G
Xperia 1 III 256GB (Black)
Cost breakdown
Cashback:
£0.00
Upfront Cost:
£899.00
About the Sony Xperia 1 III
The Xperia 1 III is Sony making a phone for people who take photography and video seriously and are happy to do the work. Its defining trick is a telephoto lens that physically moves between 70mm and 105mm, giving two genuine optical focal lengths from one camera rather than a crop, and it is backed by Alpha-derived autofocus that tracks eyes on people and animals with real accuracy. The catch is that Sony's Photo Pro and Cinema Pro apps expect you to think like a camera owner, and the automatic point-and-shoot experience is noticeably behind rivals. Elsewhere it is unapologetically niche in the best way: a 21:9 4K OLED screen that is superb for films, front-facing stereo speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack when almost nobody else kept one, and a microSD slot. The tall, narrow body is easy to hold, though the 4,500mAh battery is only average given how demanding that display is. Software support has now ended, so this is a phone bought for its camera hardware and media credentials rather than longevity.
Expert Rating
4.0
(4 reviews)
Price History
Tracking the best prices since 27 Apr 2026.
Sony Xperia 1 III vs Sony Xperia 5 III - Key Differences
| Feature | Sony Xperia 1 III | Sony Xperia 5 III |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.5-inch 21:9 OLED, 3840x1644 4K, 120Hz | 6.1-inch 21:9 OLED, 2520x1080, 120Hz |
| Memory | 12GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| Storage options | 256GB or 512GB, microSD to 1TB | 128GB or 256GB, microSD to 1TB |
| Rear cameras | 12MP 24mm + 12MP 16mm ultrawide + 12MP variable 70/105mm telephoto + 3D ToF sensor | 12MP 24mm + 12MP 16mm ultrawide + 12MP variable 70/105mm telephoto |
| Battery | 4,500mAh, 30W wired | 4,500mAh, 30W wired |
| Dimensions | 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm | 157 x 68 x 8.2 mm |
| Weight | 186 g | 168 g |
| SIM-free price | Not available | From £499.00 |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Sony Xperia 1 III worth buying?
The Sony Xperia 1 III is worth buying if you want manual camera control, a true variable telephoto lens and a 3.5mm headphone jack, none of which are easy to find elsewhere. The Snapdragon 888 chip and 4K 120Hz display still feel premium. However, software support has ended and the automatic camera modes are weaker than rivals, so it suits enthusiasts rather than casual users.
Does the Sony Xperia 1 III have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Xperia 1 III has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which was already rare among flagships when it launched. It is paired with front-facing stereo speakers and support for high-resolution audio, making it one of the better phones for wired listening.
How does the Sony Xperia 1 III variable telephoto camera work?
The telephoto lens physically shifts between two positions, giving true 70mm and 105mm optical focal lengths from a single 12MP sensor rather than cropping into a fixed lens. In practice that means genuine optical detail at both a portrait length and a longer reach. It sits alongside 12MP main (24mm) and ultrawide (16mm) cameras plus a 3D time-of-flight depth sensor.
Is the Sony Xperia 1 III display really 4K?
Yes. The 6.5-inch OLED runs at 3840x1644 in a 21:9 cinema aspect ratio with a 120Hz refresh rate and 10-bit colour, and it is the only phone screen family to hit that resolution. The 21:9 shape means widescreen films play without black bars, though most other video content will be letterboxed.
Does the Sony Xperia 1 III have expandable storage and water resistance?
Yes to both. There is a microSD slot supporting cards up to 1TB alongside 256GB or 512GB of internal storage, and the phone carries IP65 and IP68 ratings for dust and water resistance. Wireless charging is also supported at 11W, on top of 30W wired charging.
Should I get the Sony Xperia 1 III or the Sony Xperia 5 III?
The two share the same Snapdragon 888 chip, the same 4,500mAh battery and the same variable 70mm to 105mm telephoto camera, so photographic capability is very close. The Xperia 1 III adds the larger 6.5-inch 4K display, more RAM at 12GB and a 3D depth sensor, while the Xperia 5 III is smaller at 6.1 inches and lighter at 168g. Pick the 5 III if one-handed use matters, or the 1 III for the screen and extra memory.
Sony Xperia 1 III Specifications
General
Dimensions
165 x 71 x 8.2
Weight
186 g
SIM
Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Operating System
Android 11, up to Android 13
Colours
Radio
No
Body
Frosted Black, Frosted Gray, Frosted Purple
Camera
Primary Camera Megapixels
12
Primary Camera Video
4K@24/25/30/60/120fs HDR, 1080@30/60/120fs; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS
Third Camera
12 , f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 , f/2.3, 70mm (telephoto), f/2.8, 105mm (telephoto), 1/2.9", dual pixel PDAF, 3x/4.4x optical zoom, OIS 12 , f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.6", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 , TOF 3D, (depth)
Selfie Camera Features
HDR
Primary Selfie Camera
8 , f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm
Video Resolution
2160
Selfie Video Resolution
1080@30fs, 5-axis gyro-EIS
Display
Type
OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020
Display Size
6.5
Display Resolution
1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density)
Display Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
CPU & Memory
Chipset
Snapdragon 888 5G
GPU
Adreno 660
CPU
Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)
Memory Card Slot
microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)
Internal Storage
Sound
Loudspeaker
Yes, with stereo speakers
3.5mm Jack
Yes
Connectivity & Data
2G
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G
HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - Europe
5G
1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe
Network Speed
HSPA, LTE, 5G
Network Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA
Bluetooth
5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive
USB
USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, video output
NFC
Yes
GPS
GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS
Battery
Battery
4500
Charging
30W wired, PD, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless
Other
Sensors
Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass