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Sony Xperia 1 III vs Sony Xperia 1 VIII

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

SonyXperia 1 IIISonyXperia 1 VIII
Overview
ReleasedAugust 2021June 2026
Display
Screen size6.5″6.5″
Resolution3840 × 16442340 × 1080
Sharpness643 pixels per inch396 pixels per inch
PanelOLEDLTPO OLED
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Display type4K HDR OLED, 21:9 CinemaWideOLED, Full HD+, HDR
Always-on display–Always show time and info (lock screen setting; includes battery level)
Screen protectionCorning Gorilla Glass Victus front; Gorilla Glass 6 rearCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Display features120 Hz native refresh; 240 Hz motion blur reduction and touch scanning; Creator mode powered by CineAlta1–120 Hz variable refresh rate; Creator mode and Auto creator mode; Real-time HDR drive; Sunlight Vision with adaptive brightness; light sensors on the front and back adjust brightness and colour; BRAVIA-style picture processing (Xperia Intelligence)
Performance
ChipSnapdragon 888 5GSnapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Memory12 GB12 GB – 16 GB
Storage256 GB256 GB, 1 TB
Storage type256 GB UFS in UK specification; microSDXC slot supports up to 1 TBmicroSDXC card slot for cards up to 2 TB, in the SIM tray
Cooling–Vapour chamber and heat-spreading sheet
Cameras
Main camera12 MP48 MP
Ultra wide camera12 MP48 MP
Telephoto camera12 MP48 MP
Optical zoom4.4×2.9×
Front camera8 MP12 MP
Main camera12 MP, 24 mm, ƒ/1.7, 1/1.7-inch Exmor RS sensor48 MP, 24 mm, ƒ/1.9, 1/1.35-inch Exmor T for mobile sensor (two-layer transistor pixel stacked CMOS); 12 MP photos by default, 48 MP in 48 MP mode; hybrid stabilisation
Ultra wide camera12 MP, 16 mm, ƒ/2.2, 1/2.5-inch Exmor RS sensor48 MP, 16 mm, ƒ/2.0, 1/1.56-inch Exmor RS for mobile sensor; 12 MP photos; close-up shooting
Telephoto camera12 MP, selectable 70 mm ƒ/2.3 or 105 mm ƒ/2.8, 1/2.9-inch Exmor RS sensor48 MP, 70 mm, ƒ/2.8, 1/1.56-inch Exmor RS for mobile sensor; 12 MP photos; tele-macro; hybrid stabilisation
Front camera8 MP, ƒ/2.0, 1/4-inch sensor12 MP, ƒ/2.0
ZoomTwo telephoto focal lengths, 70 mm and 105 mm (about 2.9× and 4.4× relative to 24 mm main); 12.5× hybrid zoom16, 24, 48, 70 and 140 mm; 48 mm and 140 mm are 2× crops (12 MP) from the 24 mm and 70 mm cameras; 70 mm is 2.9× the main camera's focal length
Video recording4K HDR at 24, 25, 30 or 60 fps; 4K 120 fps slow motion; Optical SteadyShot with FlawlessEye4K at up to 120 fps; HDR (HLG/BT.2020) or SDR (BT.709); S-Cinetone for mobile; slow motion at 120 fps in 4K or Full HD; AI Camerawork subject tracking and Auto Framing
Camera featuresPhotography Pro; ZEISS T* coating; up to 20 fps AF/AE burst; Real-time Eye AF and subject tracking; 3D iToF sensorAI Camera Assistant suggests looks, lenses and background blur for each scene; RAW multi-frame processing on all three cameras; Creative Look presets; Face/Eye AF for people and animals; Pro photo and Pro video modes; Bokeh mode; ZEISS T* coating on every lens
Battery and charging
Battery4,500 mAh5,000 mAh
Wired chargingUp to 30 WUp to 30 W
Wireless chargingYes (wattage not published)Up to 15 W
Battery life detail–Rated 4,850 mAh; Sony says it lasts two days per charge and that Battery Care keeps the battery healthy for four years; EU energy label class A, 51 h 7 min per charge, 1,400 charge cycles
Wired chargingUSB Power Delivery; Sony claims up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with the included 30 W charger30 W, 50% in about 30 minutes (GSMArena; Sony's UK page couldn't be read); no charger in the box
Wireless chargingQi wireless chargingQi wireless charging; 15 W (GSMArena)
Charges other devicesBattery Share charges other Qi devicesBattery share wirelessly charges other Qi devices
Design
TypeStandardStandard
Weight186 g200 g
Thickness8.2 mm8.3 mm
Height × width165 × 71 mm162 × 74 mm
Water and dust resistanceIP68IP68
Stylus–No
Materials–Aluminium frame and glass back, both with a fine textured finish inspired by raw ore
ColoursFrosted Black, Frosted Purple in the UKGraphite Black, Iolite Silver, Garnet Red; Native Gold (16 GB + 1 TB only)
ButtonsPower, volume and dedicated camera shutterTwo-stage shutter button (long press opens the camera); volume and zoom button; power button with fingerprint sensor
Water resistance detailIPX5/IPX8 water resistance and IP6X dust resistanceIPX5/IPX8 water resistance and IP6X dust resistance; IPX8 tested in 1.5 m of fresh water for 30 minutes; keep the SIM/microSD tray closed
BiometricsFingerprint sensorFingerprint sensor in the power button
SpeakersFront-facing full-stage stereo speakers; Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality AudioFull-stage stereo speakers with identical left and right units, full enclosure
Microphones–Main, second and rear voice-priority microphones
Software
Operating systemAndroidAndroid
Software updates–Up to four Android version upgrades and six years of security updates (Sony Japan); EU listing promises at least 5 years of updates after the model leaves the market
AI features–Xperia Intelligence (AI Camera Assistant, AI Camerawork, Auto Framing); DSEE Ultimate AI upscaling for music files and streaming; Google Gemini; Circle to Search
In the box–No charger (Sony); GSMArena's review unit came without a USB cable too
Software at launchAndroid 11–
Connectivity
Satellite messaging–No
Mobile networkSub-6 GHz 5G and 4G LTE–
SIMHybrid dual nano-SIMOne nano-SIM and eSIM, or two eSIMs (dual SIM)
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) with Multi-Link Operation
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 6.0, LE Audio, Auracast
NFCYesYes
USBUSB-C 3.1 Gen 1 with DisplayPort 4K/60 output; separate 3.5 mm headphone socketUSB-C with DisplayPort video output and USB-LAN adapter support; 3.5 mm headphone jack

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