Sony Xperia 1 III and 5 III prices are high - but the free Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones make up for it

We've finally got confirmed prices for the Sony Xperia 1 III and Sony Xperia 5 III – and both have shot up compared to their predecessors. But on the plus side, Sony is offering free headphones if you order at launch that essentially knocks hundreds of pounds off the price straight out of the gate. 

The Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones, and Sony WH-H910N h.ear on 3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones are the headsets in question, with an RRP of £329/AU$499 and £250/AU$349 respectively. I can't speak for the latter pair, but pretty much everyone at T3 has a pair of the former, with Ruth (Outdoors and Wellness Editor) and myself jumping on the bandwagon during Amazon Prime Day. So if you're in the market for a new phone anyway, and want to up your headphone game, read on for the details of Sony's newest smartphones. 

• iPhone 12's stellar sales reveal what we really want from the iPhone 13
• Google Pixel 5 update quietly rolls out a tiny change to the boot screen – but I love it
• I think OLED coming to iPad Air before iPad Pro would make sense, even if it seems backwards

The Sony Xperia 1 III costs £1,199 (approx. $1299.99/AU$2,200) SIM free compared to last year's £1,099/$1,199/AU$2,000 price tag. The smartphone is launching in the UK on August 19 in Frosted Black, and Frosted Purple, and if you buy it at launch, you can claim a free pair of  Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones.

Meanwhile, the Sony Xperia 5 III will set you back £899 (approx. $1,237/AU$1,650) SIM free compared to last year's £799/$949/AU$1,599. It will start shipping in September in Black, and Green, and you can claim a free pair of Sony WH-H910N h.ear on 3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones if you buy it at launch. 

The price of the freebies more than makes up for the price bump, but if you're not interested in the Xperia phones, or Sony's headphones, it's going to be a hard sell at that price. 

Both smartphones are 5G-ready and house the Snapdragon 888 SoC. They both boast improved battery life, housing a 4500mAh battery that juices up to 50% capacity in 30 minutes (with a 30W charger). 

But the selling points (aside from the free stuff) is the world firsts that Sony has jammed in there. The variable telephoto lens is paired with a dual PD sensor, while Sony's real-time Eye AF for humans and animals ensures those portrait pics are as crisp as possible. Meanwhile the 4K HDR OLED 120Hz display should tick all the boxes for those looking for a stellar screen.  

Sure, the price is eye-watering, but if you like the sound of the newest iterations in the Xperia 1 and 5 flagship series, the free headphones miiight just give you a little push into splashing out.