Sony Xperia 1 III release date leak will disappoint Sony phone fans

The Xperia 5 III looks late too

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When theSony Xperia 1 IIIandXperia 5 IIIwere unveiled, the newSonyphones had the vague ‘early summer’ release date - but the possible actual date has come out and people might not be happy.

As spotted by aReddit user, US store B&H has added possible shipping dates to its listings for theXperia 1 IIIandXperia 5 III, as August 31. At the time of writing, the date is still visible on the website, suggesting it’s not a typo.

We can’t find this date repeated on other websites, which suggests it’s just a placeholder or similar, but it seems a strange coincidence that this news is breaking on the same date as theSony Xperia 10 III, the sibling of the aforementioned phones, gets launched in a few countries worldwide, and has its price announced in more.

So what’s going on? Is this the official release date for the new Sony phones, or is this a placeholder, or just plain wrong? We can’t know for now, and Sony’s official website still doesn’t list any kind of date. For now, take it under advisement, but it’s perhaps not set in stone.

It’s worth pointing out that this is regarding the US release date, as it’s different in various countries.

Is it worth the wait?

If this August 31 date is correct, the Sony Xperia 1 III and 5 III might come much later than we expected - it’s hard to argue that’s still ‘early summer’, as Sony initially stated the release date would be.

Lots of people have been waiting to buy one of the new Mark 3 phones, but at the time of writing that release date is still three months away. So if you were waiting for the launch to buy a new phone, you’re likely going to have to wait longer than you expected.

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The Xperia 1 III and 5 III have lots of competition in 2021, like from theSamsung Galaxy S21,OnePlus 9,Oppo Find X3andXiaomi Mi 11lines, and you can pick any of those up right away.

Saying that, Sony Xperia fans are known for being loyal to their mobile brand, so perhaps a few months more is no obstacle if it means picking up a super-powerful smartphone. And you never know - maybe B&H is wrong.

Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.

He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.

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