Not a week goes by without at least one product announcement. Last week was packed with the launch of new phones from TCL, Sony, and ZTE as well as a new computer from Microsoft and a few new smartwatches. If you missed out on these announcements, then here is your chance to get up to speed with this recap of the top stories from last week:

LG Wing gets a massive price cut in India (and the US)

The LG Wing was the last major device from LG Mobile before it announced its exit from the smartphone business. This dual-screen device which launched for Rs 69,990 (~$940) in India is now available for less than half the price at Rs 29,999 (~$401). In the US, you can grab the phone for $600 (from T-Mobile) which is still a significant cut from its $999 launch price.

If you are wondering if this is a good buy, maybe the fact that there is practically no device like this will convince you. Also, even though it is no longer making phones, LG has promised that it will update the Wing through to Android 13. That is three OS upgrades in total as the phone launched with Android 10 out of the box.

Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop 4 comes in blue

If you are a fan of Microsoft’s Surface lineup, then you will like the new Surface Laptop 4. The new notebook is available in two sizes – 13.5 inches and 15-inches – and in Intel and AMD variants. There is also a new blue color that is exclusive to the 13.5-inch model. Microsoft also announced a couple of hardware to enhance your work from experience.

ZTE Axon 30 Pro and Axon 30 Ultra are the latest Chinese flagships

ZTE announced two new flagships last week – the Axon 30 Pro and the Axon 30 Ultra. Both are powered by the Snapdragon 888 processor and run MyOS based on Android 11, and that is pretty much where their similarities end.

The Ultra has a curved display with a 144Hz refresh rate, four rear cameras with three being 64MP sensors, a 4600mAh battery, and support for 66W fast charging. The Pro model has a flat display and drops the refresh rate to 120Hz refresh rate. It also has four rear cameras but only two of them are 64MP sensors and its battery is smaller at 4200mAh and charges slower at 55W.

Sony’s new Xperia flagships bring new camera features but no price tags yet

Sony also announced two new flagship phones last week – the Xperia 1 III and the Xperia 5 III. The new phones are the first in the industry to have a telephoto camera that can switch between two focal lengths (70mm and 105mm for 2.9x and 4.4x optical zoom). They both have a MicroSD card slot and audio jack, two features you will hardly find on a flagship these days. Sony has also increased the battery capacity and charging speed in both phones when compared to their predecessors.

If you don’t want a flagship, then there is the Xperia 10 III, a Snapdragon 690-powered phone. It has an OLED display like its more powerful siblings but drops the 120Hz high refresh rate for the standard 60Hz. While its battery capacity is the same at 4500mAh, it charges slower at 18W compared to the 30W the other two support.

New TCL 20 phones but the TCL Fold ‘n Roll is the device we want but can’t have

TCL announced new models for its TCL 20 series. There are four new models, all with impressive displays for their price range but the highlight of the launch was the TCL Fold ‘n Roll, a concept phone that has a display that not only unfolds but also unrolls.

New smartwatches

Huami announced an eSIM version of the Amazfit GTR 2 but it is exclusive to China for now. boAt, India’s leading wearable maker has a new square-faced watch called the Xplorer but it doesn’t have a temperature sensor like the new Timex Fit smartwatch and Mobvoi’s TicWatch GTH. ZTE also announced a leather version of its Watch GT smartwatch.

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Yesterday, Sony unveiled the new Xperia 1 III and 5 III flagship devices. Later that day, the company took to Weibo to confirm the launch date of the device in China.

As per the official post on Weibo, Sony will bring the Sony Xperia 1 III to China on May 20. The company hasn’t revealed the exact availability for global markets but the device is listed in Russia for RUB 99,990($1,302).

That said, the JD.com website just shows that the device is listed for pre-registrations. However, the China price and other information will be revealed in a press conference on May 20.

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Sony Xperia 1 III Specifications and Features

The Sony Xperia 1 III features a 6.5-inch 4K OLED HDR FHD+ 120Hz display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, expansion via microSD up to 1TB.

Rest of the specs include a quad rear-cameras with 12MP f/1.7 primary lens, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide with 123-degree FOV, 12MP f/2.3-2.8 periscope lens, and a 3D iToF sensor,   8MP f/2.0 selfie shooter, and 4,500mAh battery with 30W wired charging.

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The device has other features like a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, front-firing stereo speakers with 360 Reality Audio, Hi-Res Audio, IP68 water and dust resistance, and Android 11 OS out of the box.

Finally, the Xperia 1 III measures 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm, weighs 187 grams, and comes in Purple, Black, and Gray color options.

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Sony is holding a new Xperia Product launch event on April 14 and it is expected to unveil Xperia 1 III, 10 III, and a compact phone. Now, accessory maker Olixar has listed the cases of Xperia 1 III and 10 III along with their design renders.

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*CAD Renders of Xperia 1 III, 10 III, Credits: Steve(@Onleaks)

The case maker has put up listings of the Xperia 1 III and 10 III clear cases on its official website for $8.99. Along with that, we also see the designs of the new smartphones. These resemble the CAD renders of Steve(@Onleaks).

The design not only reveals the rear finish but also the change in the new camera setup. As you can see below, the renders on the Xperia 1 III case listing shows the new Periscope Telephoto lens and a ZEISS T* logo on the camera setup. Apart from this, we have similar I/O placements including the 3.5mm headphone jack.

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As mentioned above, the Olixar website also shows the design of Xperia 10 III which is again similar to the CAD renders that leaked in January. That being said, the website has already listed few Genuine leather wallet stand cases for $25.99. Do note that the prices could just be placeholders so let’s wait for the official launch.

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Leaks so far say that Xperia 1 III will feature a 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED display,  Snapdragon 888 chipset paired with 12/16GB RAM, and storage up to 512GB, Triple-cameras with 64MP main, 12MP periscope telephoto lens capable of 60x lossless zoom, ZEISS T coating, 5,000mAh battery with 65W charging, and $1,370 price tag.

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Recently, Sony confirmed that it will be holding a launch event on April 14. It is speculated that the company will be announcing the Sony Xperia 1 III flagship as well as a couple of other phones on the said date. Ahead of the launch, a tipster has shared the specifications of the Sony Xperia 1 III.

The leak reveals that the Sony Xperia 1 III will be featuring a 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED screen that will offer a 10bit color depth, a peak brightness of 1300 nits, and a 120Hz refresh rate.

The Snapdragon 888 mobile platform will be powering the Xperia 1 III with 12 GB of RAM. The handset may come with 512 GB of native storage. In China, the device may ship with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.

The triple camera system of the phone may include a 64-megapixel main wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor, and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto lens with 60x lossless zoom. The periscope lens could be coupled with Sony’s Cyber-Shot optimizations.

The Xperia 1 III may draw power from a 5,000mAh battery and it may come with support for 65W fast charging. There is no word on the front camera of the device. The Xperia 1 II may arrive in the Chinese markets by June, and it may sell for 8,999 Yuan (~$1,370).

Some of the specs mentioned in this leak like support for a high refresh rate and 65W fast charging appears too good to be true for a Sony flagship. Hence, it is advisable to digest the leak with a grain of salt.

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Sony has finally come up with an announcement about its new Xperia product launch. The Japanese giant is hosting a launch event on April 14 and Xperia 1 III, 10 III are some of the expected ones.

Sony Mobile, via a Facebook post, confirmed that the event will start from 16:30 JST /09:30 AM CEST /13:00 IST/3:30 PM Beijing Time on April 14, 2021. Considering the situation, it’s most likely a virtual event and be streamed across its social media channels.

Sony hasn’t given any other hints about the stars of the show but a Weibo tipster @ZACKBUKS says that we can expect the Xperia 1 III, Xperia 10 III at the event. However, the Sony Xperia 5 III should launch sometime towards the end of the year.

Talking about the Xperia 1 III and 10 III, both aren’t new to us. The CAD Renders of both the devices have given us an idea of what to expect in the 2021 iteration. Among these, the Sony Xperia 1 III design leak reveals a similar design to the predecessor.

It is said to have a 6.5-inch 4K CinemaWide 4K HDR OLED display with thin bezels and chin. As for design, it is expected to have a metal frame on the edges and a glass panel on the rear. In terms of camera, the Xperia 1 III is said to get the ZEISS with a ZEISS T coating.

As for the lenses on the triple-camera, Sony is said to include a Periscope lens, 3D iTOF sensor. The Xperia 10, III, on the other hand, would be a mid-range 5G smartphone. Back in November 2020, a report said that Sony canceled the Xperia 10 II Plus and is going forward with including 5G on all Xperia devices in the future.

Sony Xperia 1 III (Left), 10 III(Right)

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Accordingly, the Xperia 10 III that has appeared on Geekbench listings seems to have the Snapdragon 690 5G chipset. The CAD renders of the device suggest that it could have a 6-inch screen, measure 8.4mm in thickness, triple-camera with 12MP main lens, 8MP selfie shooter.

Let’s wait and see how Sony prices these devices in the respective markets where it launches.

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A new Sony smartphone labeled “Sony A003SO” has appeared in the database of the Geekbench benchmarking platform. The listing suggests that it could be the Japanese variant of the rumored Xperia 10 III.

The Geekbench listing reveals that the mysterious Sony A003SO smartphone is equipped with 6 GB of RAM and Android 11 OS. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm chipset that is mentioned with its ‘lito’ codename and 1.80GHz base frequency. It scored 601 and 1821 in single-core and multi-core tests of Geekbench, respectively.

According to Sumahoinfo, the Sony A003O could be the model number of the Japanese version of the rumored Xperia 10 III. It is not easy to identify the chipset with its ‘lito’ codename, but there is a possibility that it could be a Snapdragon 600 chipset. Recent reports have claimed that the upcoming Xperia 10 III will arrive with Snapdragon 690 5G chipset. Hence, there is a possibility that A003S0 could be the Xperia 10 III handset.

Last month, reliable tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer released the CAD renders of the Xperia 10 III handset. The renders revealed that it measures 154.4 x 68.4 x 8.3mm and it houses a 6-inch screen with sizeable bezels around it. The phone will be sporting two front-facing speakers and a side-mounted fingerprint reader. The design of the Xperia 10 III will not be vastly different from the predecessor Xperia 10 II.

The rear camera setup of the Xperia 10 III has a 12-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel telephoto snapper, and an 8-megapixel superwide sensor. Sony is expected to announce the Xperia 10 III in February. It is likely that the company may announce the Snapdragon 888 powered Xperia I 111 flagship and the Xperia L5 mid-ranger with Helio P35v chipset alongside the Xperia 10 III.

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The Xperia 1 II was one of two flagships that Sony launched last year; the other being the Xperia 5 II. Now, a new leak has given us our first look at the upcoming Xperia 1 III and it looks like Sony is sticking to the same design as its predecessor.

The renders were first posted on the web by the reliable leaker, Steve Hemmerstoffer, who is popularly known as OnLeaks. According to him, the phone’s overall size has shrunk but the size of the display has remained unchanged. This should make the phone even more comfortable to hold.

The 6.5-inch display is a 4K HDR OLED panel with a 21:9 asect ratio. While we expect the resolution should remain 3840 x 1644, we can’t say if the refresh rate is still 60Hz. Last year, Sony said that the Motion Blur Reduction feature produces the same experience you will get from a 90Hz screen. That is why the Xperia 1 II doesn’t have a higher refresh rate. There is a chance that will be the case again with the .

The bezels are slim but the forehead still houses the selfie camera and one of the stereo speakers while the chin has the second speaker. The screen should be covered with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6 just like its predecessor or the new Gorilla Glass Victus. The back is also covered in glass and the camera housing is at the same spot as that of the Xperia 1 II.

There are four cameras on the back of the phone but this is not the exact setup as last year’s model. Sony has swapped the regular telephoto camera for one with a periscope lens. This should give the Xperia 1 III a fighting chance with respect to zoom against phones like the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The phone still has a 3D iTOF sensor and the other two cameras should be the main sensor and ultrawide camera. Of course, there is ZEISS T coating.

The phone has its volume rocker on the right side along with the power button which doubles as a fingerprint scanner. However, alongside the textured shutter button at the bottom, the Xperia 1 III gets an extra button just like the Xperia 5 II. This should be a dedicated Google Assistant button.

The bottom of the phone is home to the USB-C charging port and microphone. The top of the phone has an audio jack and another microphone while the left side of the phone should be where the SIM tray/MicroSD card sits. The Xperia 1 III measures 161.6 x 67.3 x 8.4mm (9.6mm with the camera bump).

Going by last year’s model, the Xperia 1 III should launch next month but we hope folks don’t have to wait until May before they get their hands on it.

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Sony unveiled the Xperia 1 II flagship smartphone back in February 2020. The device had a vibrant 4K screen(a rarity with flagships), Snapdragon 865 SoC, and a sleek body. It looks like Sony wants to maintain the form factor, price but crank it up a notch in specs on the successor.

A Twitter user @TheGalox_(via ITHome) has revealed the alleged specs of the upcoming Sony Xperia 1 III smartphone. If it’s true, this should be the next iteration of the Xperia flagship from Sony going by the norm. Anyway, the surprise is it will reportedly cost the same as the predecessor.

If you recall, Sony revealed the launch price of Xperia 1 II months after its announcement. It was priced at 7,838 yuan( $1,199) in the US. As per the user, Xperia 1 III will feature a 6.5-inch 4K OLED HDR display. The same size indicates that Sony is likely to retain the form factor with a 21:9 cinematic ratio.

While he didn’t say anything about the bump in refresh rate, screen protection, he does say that the screen will be 15% brighter. Under the hood, it will feature a Snapdragon 888 SoC which is a no-brainer at this point. This means, Xperia lineup will follow the 5G-ready lineup trend as well.

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Further, the device will reportedly retain the side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and 8GB RAM, 256GB storage option from the predecessor. However, Sony might pull-off a last-minute magic and launch additional variants too so let’s wait for official news.

Apart from this, he says the device will also have an IP65/68 water and dust resistance. But looking at the Xperia 1 II, we can safely say that it would at least be IP68-rating. That said, there’s still no info on the camera and other specs but it won’t take that long to appear on our radar.

It was recently reported that Sony canceled the Xperia 10 II Plus plans and planned to go ahead with all-5G devices in the future. With that in mind, we guess Sony would differentiate the mid-range from flagships through Camera and display. The Xperia 1 III aside, Sony is also rumored to be working on a compact smartphone with Snapdragon 775 and the successor to Xperia 10 II.

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A recent report had revealed that Sony is working on the successors for the Sony Xperia 1 II and Xperia 10 II that went official earlier this year. The alleged Xperia 1 III and Xperia 10 III are expected to go official in the first quarter of the coming year. Fresh information reveals that the Japanese tech giant is working on a compact. Probably, the company will bring back its Compact Xperia lineup next year.

A Weibo user has claimed that Sony will release a new 5.5-inch Compact series smartphone in the first half of 2021. He also revealed that the device will be driven by the upcoming Snapdragon 775 chipset. It is expected to go official as a lower variant of an existing model.

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Probably, the compact phone arriving next year could be the lower variant of the Snapdragon 875 powered Sony Xperia 1 III that is expected to go official in Q1 2021. Hence, there is a possibility that its compact version could be dubbed as the Sony Xperia 1 III Compact. The Snapdragon 775 chipset is expected to go official soon as the successor to the Snapdragon 765 / 765G that went official earlier last year.

There is no other information available on the specs of the rumored Xperia 1 III Compact. It is likely that the device will borrow most of its specs from the advanced Xperia 1 III. It is speculated that the Xperia 1 III will be the company’s first phone with quad rear cameras.

The Xperia 10 III could be driven by the Snapdragon 690. It is speculated that the Xperia L5 could be equipped with the Helio P35 chipset. The L5 is also expected to go official in Q1 next year.

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(via 1, 2)

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In February, Sony announced the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform powered Xperia 1 II and Xperia Pro smartphones. Both phones debuted as the company’s first 5G-ready handsets. Alongside these phones, the Japanese tech giant also unveiled the Xperia 10 II mid-ranger driven by the Snapdragon 665. Twitter user NodSikharulidze has claimed that the ley details of the upcoming Sony phones.

It was recently reported that the Snapdragon 720G SoC powered Xperia 10 II Plus was canceled so that the company could focus on 5G. According to the tipster, Sony is working on two phones powered by the Snapdragon 875 and Snapdragon 690 chipsets.

The flagship phone could be arriving in the market as the Xperia 1 III. Sony is yet to offer a quad-camera setup on its smartphone. It is speculated that the Xperia 1 III could be equipped with quad rear cameras.

Sony's two new smartphone
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— Nodar Sikharulidze (@NodSikharulidze) November 17, 2020

On the other side, the Snapdragon 690 powered phone could be called Xperia 10 III. The same Twitter had claimed earlier that the company is working on an Helio P35 powered phone. This phone is hitting the shelves as the Xperia L5.

There is no word on the other specifications of the upcoming mid-range phones. It is likely that the Xperia 1 III, Xperia 10 III, and Xperia L5 smartphone may go official in February.

In September, Sony announced the Xperia 5 II flagship phone. Since its successor is likely to arrive in the second half of 2021, there is no information available on its specs. The Xperia 5 II came with a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED display that supports 120Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 865 chipset, 8 GB of RAM, up to 256 GB of storage, 12-megapixel triple rear cameras, 8-megapixel front camera, a side-facing fingerprint reader, and a 4,000mAh battery with 21W fast charging support.

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