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Sony's Android 12 update includes a welcome change you'll probably never see
Quick settings that are actually quick
Android 12 is Google's most significant transformation to its mobile operating system since Material Design first debuted in 2014. Unfortunately, not every change has been for the better. The quick settings menu got a new Internet tile, combining all of Android's various Wi-Fi and mobile data options into a single place. Of course, that requires additional taps not found in previous versions, forcing some users to push ADB commands to their phones to restore the previous layout. If you happen to have one of Sony's recent phones, you'll be glad to know its take on Android 12 undoes this change — though, it seems, not entirely on purpose.
Over the past few years, Sony has aligned mobile efforts with its focus on the camera-to-viewership pipeline. Now, we have clearer ideas of what the Japanese manufacturer will show off in its product launch event tomorrow.
Sony will sell you its latest phone for entirely too much money next month
Even with its pre-order bonuses, the Xperia 1 III is an expensive phone
The Android marketplace has been feeling a lot smaller lately. LG dropped out of the smartphone game entirely a couple of months ago, and while HTC hasn't officially thrown in the towel, the halcyon days of the One M7 and M8 are long gone. Sony's still alive and kicking if you've been missing some of that old-school Android feel, and it's finally bringing its newest flagship to the US next month.
Sony reveals Xperia 1 III and 5 III with the first-ever variable telephoto camera in a smartphone
Three cameras, four different zoom levels
Sony has been making Android phones since the early days, just like LG. Unlike LG, Sony isn't throwing in the towel after years of struggling to get noticed. The company has announced its new flagship lineup for 2021, featuring the Xperia 1 III and the Xperia 5 III. We don't know when these devices launch or how much they'll cost, but we can surmise the Xperia 1 III won't be cheap with a first-of-its-kind variable optical zoom lens, 5G, and a 4K OLED.
Sony's smartphones have historically not been popular, but that hasn't stopped the company from... not really changing anything. The company's main flagship phone for 2021 is due for release soon, and now we have our first good look at it, thanks to a series of leaked renders.