latest
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.
Sony announced the Xperia 5 III way back in April of 2021. It didn't launch for months, and when it did, the US wasn't on the list. That changes today. You can purchase Sony's latest small-ish flagship phone for $999.99, which is a lot for a phone with last year's hardware. Sony is sweetening the deal with some earbuds and a mountain of CoD points.
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.