Sony Xperia 1 III hides its artsy side under a black facade

With a state-of-the-art telephoto lens made up of tiny moving lenses that can switch between two focal lengths, 5G support for the US, and a first-of-its-kind 4K high refresh-rate display, the Sony Xperia 1 III aims to be the perfect phone for creative types.

Read more: Sony Xperia 1 III in-depth review.

The $1,300 phone packs a camera system that takes wonderful photos and videos.

Here's a view from the side.

It runs Android 11.

On the front of the Xperia 1 III is a 6.5-inch 4K display. It's fantastic indoors and the colors look amazing. 

If you're into manual controls or taking a more cinematic approach to capturing videos with your phone the Cinema Pro app is for you.

The display can be set to 60Hz or 120Hz, which makes animations, scrolling and gaming look smooth.

On the back are three cameras: a main 12-megapixel wide angle camera with a larger sensor for better low-light performance, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with a variable lens.

The variable telephoto lens is a remarkable achievement, but it's a questionable benefit overall. Despite taking up less room, it doesn't make the phone any cheaper.

On the left is the Xperia 1 II and on the right is the Xperia 1 III.

Here's another shot of the phone siblings with the Xperia 1 II on the left and the Xperia 1 III on the right.

Continue to swipe through to see more photos of the Sony Xperia 1 III.