News

The Sony Xperia 1 III is your ultimate all-in-one smartphone

World’s first 4K 120Hz smartphone display, Alpha-grade cameras, world-class audio and gaming experience

Published

April 14, 2021

Vincenz

Image by GadgetMatch

Sony is a leader both in entertainment and hardware technologies — whether it’s the Sony Alpha, PlayStation, and even their audio products. But with LG’s sudden exit from the mobile division, people were speculating that Sony suffer the same fate. But today, Sony has debunked all those rumors and announced the Xperia 1 III.

A typical 2021 flagship

Just like other flagships released this year, the Xperia 1 III isn’t a stranger to power-packed hardware. It rocks the latest Snapdragon 888 processor with 5G support and Adreno 660 graphics. It also boasts 12GB of RAM and comes in either 256GB or 512GB storage options.

Image by GadgetMatch

While the 4,500mAh battery may sound small nowadays, Sony’s Adaptive Charging technology gives you the best of power and performance. They’re also promising a 3-year longer lifespan battery compared to conventional smartphone batteries.

It also supports Qi wireless charging and has IP65-68 water/dust resistance just like its predecessor.

First 4K 120Hz smartphone display

Image by GadgetMatch

Sony’s Xperia line are the only smartphones that have 4K displays. This year, they made it even better as the Xperia 1 III boasts 120Hz refresh rate with 4K resolution — a first in any smartphone today.

Other than that, it supports 120fps games and has 240Hz touch scanning rate for better game input and less lag.

With its 6.5-inch 21:9 OLED HDR display, expect stunning colors and contrast — especially with the help of their X1 Mobile HDR Remaster technology that’s only found among high-end Sony BRAVIA TVs.

Serious photography on a smartphone

Image by GadgetMatch

Just like its predecessor, the Xperia 1 III has triple 12-megapixel cameras for its wide (f/1.7), ultra-wide (f/2.2), and telephoto (f/2.3-2.8) lenses, plus an extra 3D iToF Sensor. But another first in this list is Sony’s variable telephoto lens that supports 70-105mm focal length (equivalent to 2.9x and 4.4x zoom) that can zoom up to 300mm (12.5x) digitally. Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra has two different lenses for different focal lengths.

Other than that, it’s also the world’s first smartphone that’s capable of shooting 20fps burst mode and has the new Real-time Tracking technology that can focus on moving subjects while shooting. It’s different from the existing Real-time Eye AF that only focuses on human’s eyes. You won’t run out of autofocus coverage areas as it covers 247 AF points (70% of the frame).

Image by GadgetMatch

Sony hasn’t omitted the dedicated shutter button to make the experience similar to its existing alpha lineup. Speaking of, ZEISS T* coating (found on most Sony alpha lenses) is still here despite ZEISS having to share that same lens coating on the new vivo X60 Pro+. This is helpful for reducing glare and reflections when shooting.

Professional cinematography on the go

Image by GadgetMatch

For amateur and professional filmmakers, this smartphone is also capable of shooting Hollywood-style films. There’s a new Intelligent wind filter that reduces wind and outdoor noise when shooting in forests or fields.

It supports 4K HDR between the regular 24fps (frames per second) or up to 120fps slow motion that can even go slower of up to 5 times. For a more professional look and feel, there’s the Cinematography Pro app where you can manually adjust controls based on your shooting scenario. It also has built-in 8-look color filters for on-the-spot color grading.

The ultimate device for audiophiles

Long-live audiophiles! Sony still has the 3.5mm audio jack, making it the flagship smartphone that’s capable of doing so.

There’s an AI-based DSEE Ultimate sound optimization technology that’s capable of producing hi-res audio even when playing compressed audio files. This goes hand-in-hand with Sony’s Hi-Res audio support (whether wired or wireless) as well as support for LDAC.

For a more immersive audiovisual experience, there’s Dolby Atmos, 360 Spatial Sound, and 360 Reality Audio also found on high-end Sony headphones such as the WH-1000XM4.

Pricing and Availability

The Xperia 1 III comes in three shades: Frosted Black, Frosted Gray, and Frosted Purple. Singapore will only have the black and purple options.

Pricing wasn’t revealed by Sony during its live announcement but it will be available in early summer (or third quarter) of 2021 in countries where the Xperia line is readily available.

Stay tuned for more pricing updates.

Gaming

Call of Duty drops the PlayStation 4 starting with its next game

Is this the beginning of the end for the PlayStation 4?

Published

May 8, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

When can we declare that a console is officially dead? Is it as soon as the launch of the next generation? Is it when games no longer come out on the console? Recently, Call of Duty has confirmed that the next game will not be available anymore on the PlayStation 4, which presents an important question: Is the PlayStation 4 officially dead?

Call of Duty is one of the most persistent gaming franchises today. The last entry, Black Ops 7, is still available for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Both consoles were launched over twelve years ago. (If that doesn’t make you old, the current generation was launched almost six years ago.)

As such, the franchise is one of the last stalwarts keeping the past generation alive. This week, Call of Duty, via a post on X, confirmed that the next game will not arrive on the PlayStation 4. Presumably, this also means the Xbox One.

Not sure where this one started, but it’s not true. The next Call of Duty is not being developed for PS4.

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) May 4, 2026

Currently, we don’t have details about the upcoming game yet. But a new entry is confirmed to arrive later this year.

With the departure of the Call of Duty franchise, it’s fair to ask what will become of the old generation moving forward. Over the years, developers have started shying away from the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Since the franchise still maintains a steady fan base today, a lot of PlayStation 4 users might be forced to make an upgrade to play the latest entry.

News

TCL CSOT Unveils ‘APEX Pixel’ innovations at SID Display Week 2026

Breakthroughs in display technologies

Published

May 7, 2026

GadgetMatch

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Pushing the boundaries of display physics, TCL CSOT has officially launched its APEX Pixel framework at SID Display Week 2026.

This unified innovation path targets the microscopic architecture of pixels across FMM OLED, Inkjet-printed (IJP) OLED, and LCD panels to redefine clarity, power efficiency, and color volume.

The Super Pixel revolution

The highlight of the showcase is the Super Pixel technology for mobile FMM OLEDs.

By increasing sub-pixel density by roughly 1.8%, TCL CSOT has achieved sharpness comparable to WQHD standards while slashing power consumption by 25%.

Key mobile prototypes on display include:

6.9-inch Ultra-Clarity Display: Features a 2608×1200 resolution with a 0.5mm top bezel
165Hz High-Refresh Panel: Utilizes a Real RGB layout to boost motion smoothness by 40% over standard 120Hz screens
Ultra-Low Power 8T LTPO: A 420PPI powerhouse that reduces SoC power draw by a quarter.

IJP OLED and the Tri-Fold Future

TCL CSOT continues to lead the transition toward Inkjet-printed (IJP) OLED.

By utilizing the world’s first 8.6-generation IJP line, the company has debuted a 28-inch Foldable and Portable IJP OLED Monitor.

This “Real Stripe” RGB display features a tri-fold design that expands from a 16-inch footprint to a 28-inch workspace.

IJP OLED allows for larger light-emitting areas, occupying 50% to 60% of the pixel. This leads to a significantly enhanced luminous efficiency compared to traditional evaporation methods.

RGBC: The New Standard for LCD

For large-scale cinema experiences, TCL CSOT introduced RGBC Four-Color Technology.

By adding a Cyan sub-pixel to the traditional RGB matrix, the 85-inch WHVA Ultra LCD TV achieves a staggering 131% of the BT.2020 color gamut.

This hardware-level shift allows for more saturated hues and finer resolution rendering that traditional three-color pixels cannot replicate.

Through APEX Pixel, TCL CSOT is no longer just chasing size, but perfecting the very atoms of the digital image.

News

iPhone 17 is the best-selling phone of 2026 so far

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 series didn’t make the top ten list.

Published

May 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

With more than a quarter of the year done and dusted, it’s time to figure out which smartphone has taken the early lead in the charts. According to the numbers, it can’t get any clearer. The iPhone 17 is currently dominating the charts.

According to Counterpoint Research, the bestselling smartphone in the world as of the first quarter is the base iPhone 17. The model took 6 percent of the global share in unit sales. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Pro took the second and third spots, respectively. Only a bit surprisingly, Apple rounded out its quarter with the iPhone 16 taking the number 6 slot.

The stranger thing is Samsung’s presence on this list. The South Korean brand took five spots on the top 10 list. However, none of them are of the Galaxy S26 series. All of them are from the Galaxy A series: in order, Galaxy A07 4G, A17 5G, A56, A36, and A17 4G. (The Galaxy S26 series narrowly missed the top 10.)

That makes nine. The final spot was taken by the Xiaomi Redmi A5.

Going only by the last two paragraphs, you’ll likely assume that the midrange market is rightfully dominating the charts in the months following the Christmas season. However, the iPhone 17’s dominance confirms that Apple has not lost its stride.

Plus, with the iPhone 17e only just having launched, Apple might continue its run well into 2026.