Sony Xperia 5 III appears on Best Buy for US$999.99 but the US$1,299.99 Xperia 1 III seems the smarter purchase

Best Buy now has a listing for the Sony Xperia 5 III, although interestingly the product page already reports that the smartphone has “sold out”, which more likely means the device hasn't actually been fully launched in the US just yet. The Xperia 5 III is powered by a Snapdragon 888 SoC that supports 5G communication, and the device runs on Android 11. It is priced at US$999.99 and comes with 8 GB RAM, 128 GB storage, and in the single color option of black, with the green-colored variant currently reserved for other markets.

The Sony US website claims a purchase of the Xperia 5 III also includes a free gift in the form of Sony WF-1000XM3 true wireless noise cancelling in-ear headphones (apparently valued at US$230), but the Best Buy page for the flagship phone doesn't mention this particular freebie at the moment. However, the XM3 headphones (valued at a lower US$199.99 on Best Buy) are bundled with a purchase of the Sony Xperia 1 III, which is listed at US$1,299.99. Regardless of the inclusion of a free gift, there is plenty of argument to choose the Mark 3 version of the Xperia 1 over the Mark 3 edition of the Xperia 5, despite the price difference.

Not only does the more-expensive Xperia come with a beefier 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage configuration, it also has its now somewhat famous 120 Hz-capable 4K display to offer buyers. The Sony Xperia 1 III also trumps the Xperia 5 III by having an additional unit in its main camera system, with a 0.3 MP depth sensor assisting in photography duties. The 6.5-inch Xperia 1 III might be US$300 more but if you're not bothered about the size difference between the two flagship phones then it seems appropriately enough to be the better buy.

Buy the Sony Xperia 1 III on Amazon