Sony III
Price: £899 from fave.co/3GW2tW0
Sony increasingly makes its phones for a small – but vocal – niche, and the Xperia 5 III is no different.
For those who are drawn to the unusual aspect ratio, complex camera features, and powerful display this is an excellent package – arguably even more appealing than the flagship Xperia 1 III – but like that phone it comes with serious drawbacks too. The camera in particular is only powerful if you know how to use it well, and makes for a fairly poor point-and-shoot option at the price.
The oddities mean this is a phone best suited for those willing to work at the camera or anyone who needs a small, but flagship, Android phone and is willing to pay for it. If that describes you then there’s a lot to love here.
DESIGN
The first thing you’re likely to notice about the Xperia 5 III – like any recent Xperia phone – is the unusually tall, slim design. This is driven first and foremost by Sony’s preference for a 21:9 aspect ratio display – intended to be ideal for watching movies – but it holds more appeal than that alone, not least because the slim screen is much more comfortable to hold.
Combined with the fact that the 5 III is essentially a compact version of the flagship Xperia 1 III, this is one of those increasingly rare beasts: an actually small phone, and one that doesn’t compromise on specs to do it.
It helps that it’s also a premium phone, with an aluminium frame and a protective Gorilla Glass 6 coating on both the front and back. I’ve reviewed it in black, but you can also buy the phone in green and pink.
The slim shape isn’t the only respect in
