After letting rival camera companies catch up for the last few years, Sony laid down a gauntlet with the 24.6-megapixel A9 III. It’s the world’s first mirrorless camera with a global shutter, a much-awaited holy grail feature. It completely eliminates rolling shutter distortion found on CMOS cameras by reading the entire sensor at once. It also boosts speed and removes the need for a mechanical shutter.

As a pioneering product, it’s not cheap at $6,000, but you can expect the technology to come down in price in the future. And there is a downside: Image quality is reduced compared to regular cameras, due to the nature of a global shutter.

Is it worth trading off image quality for extra speed and lack of distortion, especially compared to stacked sensor cameras that are already pretty quick? To find out, me and my pro photographer friends put a final production model through a variety of shooting scenarios.

Body and handling

The A9 III is Sony’s best handling-camera yet, borrowing all the latest features of recent models like the A7R V. It’s very light for a full-frame camera at just 617 grams. And the redesigned grip is more comfortable and secure, which is a big help to working pros, especially with heavy lenses. By comparison, Sony's A1 can be hard on one’s hands over a full day, according to my photographer pals.

There are three top control dials, making it easy to find primary settings in fully manual mode. It has a pair of dual dials, with one for video, photos and S&Q plus shooting modes, and the other controlling burst along with autofocus. You also get a rear joystick, control dial and no less than 5 custom buttons.

With everything well-placed, it’s a cinch to shoot manually. When you do need to delve into the menus, those are also well laid out. Settings are divided logically into categories, while the home menu shows key options (shutter speed, white balance, etc.) at a glance. Everything can be customized, and you can back up your settings to a memory card.

The high-resolution two million dot rear display is of course touch sensitive for focus and menu control. It flips out and tilts up or down to please both photographers and creators. The viewfinder is the best on any camera, with 9.44 million dots at 120Hz, or half that at 240Hz. That level of sharpness makes it easy to check focus and colors. Again, this is Sony flexing its tech muscles as the primary camera EVF supplier.

Battery life is a solid 500 shots, but you can double that with a new $400 vertical grip, which also gives you a better hold of the camera. It has a dual-card slot setup with both SD UHS II and CFexpress. As usual with Sony, the latter is the slower Type A variety, though. Those are less than half the speed of CFexpress type A, but their smaller size allows Sony to do the dual slot setup.

Other key features include headphone and mic ports, with the option to add Sony brand microphones or audio accessories to the hotshoe. There’s also a full-sized HDMI port, USB-C charging port, ethernet, live-streaming capability and more.

Performance

With the global shutter, dual Bionz processors and the same dedicated AI processor found on the A7R V,, Sony’s A9 III is the fastest full-frame camera in the world. Compressed RAW bursts can be shot at an incredible 120 fps with autofocus and auto-exposure, or you can dial that down to 60 fps or 30 fps.

Steve Dent for Engadget

A big caveat is that the 120 fps mode only works with supported Sony lenses, while third-party lenses are all limited to 15 fps. Hopefully the company will address that in a future firmware update.

The buffer holds 200 RAW frames, so it fills up in less than two seconds at maximum speed. It takes longer to clear the buffer than it should due to the CFexpress Type A cards. If you use SD UHS II cards instead, it takes about twice as long to clear.

In any case, shooting at 120 fps is major overkill most of the time unless you like wading through thousands of photos later on. Sony does have a solution, though. You can shoot at, say, a still-very-fast 30 fps, then press the C5 button to enable the top speed at key moments. That way, you’ll get the shot you want without wasting frames.

The A9 III is also the first Sony camera to use a pre-capture mode that saves a second of photos when you half-press the shutter button. After you fully press it, those photos are saved along with any taken after.

Nathanael Charpentier

Your photos will usually be sharp, too. The 759 phase-detect focus points allow for extremely rapid and accurate autofocus in most situations. For regular continuous AF, it can keep up with even the fastest action.

The AI-powered subject detection shines too. Face tracking works with subjects farther away and it follows someone tenaciously, even when they duck behind obstacles. Human tracking is fast and fluid, and you can easily see if it’s locked onto eyes, face or body.

It can detect birds, animals (or both), along with insects, cars and trains. You can also select any distinctive object and the system will usually track it reliably.

The bottom line is that it rarely misses focus, so it’s great for professional sports, wildlife, weddings and more. Of course it’s not infallible and can mix up subjects, but is better than any camera I’ve tried to date.

Nathanael Charpentier

The A9 III has no need for a mechanical shutter because there’s no rolling shutter distortion, meaning you can shoot in complete silence at all times. With that, it’s perfect for sports like golf, as you can shoot a player in mid-swing without disturbing them, and a club in motion won’t be distorted.

It also allows for extremely fast shutter speeds up to 1/80,000th and it can sync with supported flashes all the way up to that speed. It also eliminates the flicker and banding from venue lights, another big aid for sports photographers.

Sony has also improved its in-body stabilization significantly, boosting it to 8 stops with supported lenses. That allows shots down to a quarter second or less, matching Canon’s EOS R3 and besting the Nikon Z9 and Sony’s own A1.

Image quality

As mentioned, the primary issue with this camera is image quality. So is how much does it fall below regular CMOS cameras? To test that, I shot in situations including gymnasiums, night scenes, bird shooting, an airport and more.

There’s no question that dynamic range is reduced compared to Sony cameras like the A1, at least by a stop. The reason is that the sensor has less light capacity due to the space taken up by the extra electronics.

It also has a smaller ISO range, both on the high and low end. Minimum ISO is not great at 250 and at the high end, ISO is limited to 25,600, half that of the A9 II.

In general, there’s more noise and less dynamic range at any given ISO setting than the A9 II. At the same time, the resolution is lower than rivals like the Nikon Z9 and Sony’s own A7R V and A1. So for landscapes, portraits and other types of photography where dynamic range and resolution is important (and speed isn’t), the A9 III isn’t the best choice.

That said, you’d need to pixel peep to notice any major difference in image quality between rival 24-megapixel cameras up to about ISO 6400. For the intended audience of sports, action and wildlife shooters, it’s more than sufficient.

Beyond that, images are noisier, but still usable up to the maximum ISO 25,600 with noise reduction (Sony appears to have more aggressive noise reduction for JPEG images at higher ISOs). I had no difficulty extracting good shots in dark scenes at ISO 6400 or even ISO 12,800. And as mentioned, you have more control with a flash than any other camera on the market – so that’s a solid option in low light.

Otherwise, images are typical for Sony, with accurate colors and skin tones. The 14-bit RAW files are easy to work with and allow some pushing and pulling, particularly in highlights.

Video

Steve Dent for Engadget

Sony took advantage of the global shutter to make the A9 III its most capable mirrorless camera for video. 4K at up to 60 fps is supersampled using the full 6K sensor width, while 4K at 120 fps can also be shot using the full sensor, albeit with pixel binning. That mode supports full 120 fps playback as well, or slower playback modes via the slow and quick (S&Q) setting.

RAW 4K capture at 60 fps is also possible using an external recorder. All of those modes are available with 10-bit S-Log 3 recording to expand dynamic range in challenging lighting conditions.

That’s just the start of the A9 III’s video powers. Autofocus is as fast and accurate in video as stills mode and has all the same AI features. That means you’ll be sure to keep even fast-moving subjects sharp, whether they’re people, birds, animals or vehicles.

Those who prefer to shoot manually can employ Sony’s handy focus map feature. It has the auto-framing seen on previous Sony models like the ZV-E1 that lets YouTubers move around while filming themselves. You also get the digital zoom feature that reduces focus breathing for supported lenses, with some loss of quality.

Steve Dent

Airplane propeller distortion in video is a telltale sign of a rolling shutter camera, so naturally we had to test the A9 III at an airport against Sony’s stacked sensor A1. Our findings? While the A1 still produces bendy propellers, they’re of course dead straight on the A9 III. That trivial test has large implications. You can shoot things like whip pans or a fast moving train that you’d never try with a rolling shutter sensor. And since everything is exposed at once like a film camera, it’s more cinematic.

The A9 III does have some video competition, as RED just launched a pair of full-frame global shutter cinema cameras last month.

It has the same excellent video stabilization capabilities as the ZV-E1. Regular optical stabilization is good for handheld shots without much movement, or you can kick in the dynamic active mode for walking. That provides near gimbal levels of smoothness, though there’s a considerable zoom and loss of sharpness.

Much as with photos, video quality isn’t quite up to other full-frame cameras, with more noise in general. I shot in S-Log3 most of the time to maximize dynamic range and was satisfied with the results. In low light, I was forced to use some noise reduction.

Quality is still better than any APS-C mirrorless or cinema camera. I think the global shutter advantages, particularly the elimination of rolling shutter, will be worth the tradeoff in quality for a large number of videographers.

Wrap-up

Steve Dent for Engadget

Sony launched its first full-frame mirrorless camera, the A7, years before rivals, and was first to market with backside illuminated and stacked sensors. Lately though, rivals (especially Canon) have been catching up and the field has leveled. With the first global shutter camera, Sony has taken a leap ahead once again.

Image quality has held global sensor cameras back, but Sony clearly felt that the time was finally right. It was a wise calculation — the A9 III is far better than I expected for a first-gen product. It offers mind-blowing speeds and incredible video capabilities, with a relatively small cost in image quality..

Its primary rivals are the $4,800 Canon R3, Sony’s own $6,500 A1, the $5,650 Nikon Z9 and $3,800 Z8, all stacked sensor cameras. The latter three offer much higher resolution and better picture quality, plus shooting speeds that are still darn fast. They all have some rolling shutter, though, along with flicker and flash sync issues that don’t exist on the A9 III.

Whether it’s worth risking that kind of money on new and unproven stacked sensor tech depends on the buyer. Action photographers and videographers won’t blink at the cost if they advantages of global shutter will help them make money. Unless you really need those benefits, though, Nikon’s Z9 and Z8, along with Sony’s A1, are more versatile cameras — and the Z8 is significantly cheaper.

Apple's second-generation Pencil aimed at artists and creators is on sale at close to the lowest price we've seen. You can now grab one for $79, a full 39 percent ($30) off the regular price. That makes it an easy buy if you have a compatible tablet and are looking for Apple's Pencil model with the widest array of features. 

Apple designed the second-generation Pencil specifically to work with the iPad, and it's the best stylus you can snap up for the company's tablets. It offer low latency, along with a double-tap feature that you can customize to switch between preferred tools. Other features include tilt sensitivity, pressure sensitivity and what Apple claims is "pixel-perfect precision."

One big advantage that the second-gen Apple Pencil has over its two siblings is wireless charging, as it attaches magnetically to the side of a compatible iPad while it recharges. You'll need a relatively recent iPad Air, iPad mini or iPad Pro, but the magnetic charger on the side of those tablets gives you an easy way to stow your stylus while powering it. You don't have to think about cables, or buy a case with a pen slot.

If you don't need all the second-gen model's features and want to spend a bit less, Apple's Pencil (USB-C) is also on sale for $70 (11 percent off), near it's all-time-low price. It offers the same precision and magnetic mount, but lacks pressure sensitivity, wireless charging and the double tap drawing tool feature.  

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Nintendo's "Switch 2" was widely expected to arrive sometime this year, but a new rumor is putting that timeline into question. Now, the company is telling publishers that the next-gen console is slated for release in the first quarter of 2025, according to VGC, Eurogamer and other sources. That would line up with the release of the original Switch, which was announced in October 2016 but came out in March 2017. 

Publishers were reportedly briefed recently on the launch date change from late 2024 to early 2025. Several sources said they were working on Switch 2 games with releases planned for early 2025. One key title could be the long-delayed Metroid Prime 4, which is still on Nintendo's release schedule but has no specific date attached. 

Earlier this month, Nintendo slightly bumped its fiscal 2024 Switch sales forecast from 15 million to 15.5 million, compared to 18 million and 23 million in 2022 and 2021. Nintendo's stock slid today based on the release delay rumors, according to Reuters.

Not much is known about the future device, including the name. Rumors suggest it will have backward compatibility with Switch, along with 4K capabilities and visual quality similar to that of the PS5 and Series X. In any case, this year is bound to be a busy one for the company — if the new console does launch in Q1 2025, it'll likely be announced at a Nintendo Direct showcase later this year.

Apple has explained why it's disabling progressive web apps (PWAs) in the EU, it wrote in updated developer notes seen by TechCrunch. The news follows users noticing that web apps were no longer functional in Europe with recent iOS 17.4 beta releases. Apple said it's blocking the feature in the region due to new rules around browsers in Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Web apps behave much like native apps, allowing dedicated windowing, notifications, long-term local storage and more. European users tapping web app icons will see a message asking if they wish to open them in Safari instead or cancel. That means they act more like web shortcuts, creating issues like data loss and broken notifications, according to comments from users seen by MacRumors.

The problem, according to Apple, is a new DMA requirement that it allow browsers that don't use its WebKit architecture. "Addressing the complex security and privacy concerns associated with web apps using alternative browser engines would require building an entirely new integration architecture that does not currently exist in iOS and was not practical to undertake given the other demands of the DMA and the very low user adoption of Home Screen web apps," the company wrote.

The change, spotted earlier by researcher Tommy Mysk, arrived with the second iOS 17.4 beta, but many observers first thought it was a bug. "The EU asked for alternative app stores and Apple took down web apps. Looks like the EU is going to rue the day they have asked Apple to comply with the #DMA rules," he posted on X.

According to Apple's App Store Guidelines, web apps are supposed to be an alternative to the App Store model. Considering that that the EU's DMA is designed to break the App Store monopoly, the move to disable them altogether is bound to cause friction. The EU, Japan, Australia and the UK have previously criticized the requirement for WebKit to run PWAs, according to the Open Web Advocacy (OWA). 

Apple said it regrets any impact to the change, but said it was required "as part of the work to comply with the DMA." The company has already been accused by developers of malicious compliance with the DMA over fees for developers to bypass the App Store, with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek describing it as "extortion.". 

Apple has explained why it's disabling progressive web apps (PWAs) in the EU, it wrote in updated developer notes seen by TechCrunch. The news follows users noticing that web apps were no longer functional in Europe with recent iOS 17.4 beta releases. Apple said it's blocking the feature in the region due to new rules around browsers in Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Web apps behave much like native apps, allowing dedicated windowing, notifications, long-term local storage and more. European users tapping web app icons will see a message asking if they wish to open them in Safari instead or cancel. That means they act more like web shortcuts, creating issues like data loss and broken notifications, according to comments from users seen by MacRumors.

The problem, according to Apple, is a new DMA requirement that it allow browsers that don't use its WebKit architecture. "Addressing the complex security and privacy concerns associated with web apps using alternative browser engines would require building an entirely new integration architecture that does not currently exist in iOS and was not practical to undertake given the other demands of the DMA and the very low user adoption of Home Screen web apps," the company wrote.

However, the Open Web Advocacy organization disagrees, as it writes in its latest blog: 

Some defend Apple's decision to remove Web Apps as a necessary response to the DMA, but this is misguided.

Apple has had 15 years to facilitate true browser competition worldwide, and nearly two years since the DMA’s final text. It could have used that time to share functionality it historically self-preferenced to Safari with other browsers. Inaction and silence speaks volumes.

The complete absence of Web Apps in Apple's DMA compliance proposal, combined with the omission of this major change from Safari beta release notes, indicates to us a strategy of deliberate obfuscation. Even if Apple were just starting to internalize its responsibilities under the DMA, this behaviour is unacceptable. A concrete proposal with clear timelines, outlining how third party browsers could install and power Web Apps using their own engines, could prevent formal proceedings, but this looks increasingly unlikely. Nothing in the DMA compels Apple to break developers' Web Apps, and doing so through ineptitude is no excuse.

The change, spotted earlier by researcher Tommy Mysk, arrived with the second iOS 17.4 beta, but many observers first thought it was a bug. "The EU asked for alternative app stores and Apple took down web apps. Looks like the EU is going to rue the day they have asked Apple to comply with the #DMA rules," he posted on X.

According to Apple's App Store Guidelines, web apps are supposed to be an alternative to the App Store model. Considering that that the EU's DMA is designed to break the App Store monopoly, the move to disable them altogether is bound to cause friction. The EU, Japan, Australia and the UK have previously criticized the requirement for WebKit to run PWAs, according to the Open Web Advocacy (OWA). 

Apple said it regrets any impact to the change, but said it was required "as part of the work to comply with the DMA." The company has already been accused by developers of malicious compliance with the DMA over fees for developers to bypass the App Store, with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek describing it as "extortion.". 

GM has announced a significant expansion of its Super Cruise operating area by around 750,000 miles to rural roads and minor highways in the US and Canada, TechCrunch reported. The upgrade is set to be completed by 2025 and will nearly double the automaker's current 400,000 mile network.

First launched in 2017, Super Cruise allows fully hands-free operation under the supervision of a driver, who must be ready to take control at any time. It uses highly accurate GPS, cameras, radar sensors and a driver attention system to ensure the operator is paying attention. 

However, it can only be operated on designated roads that have been LiDAR scanned for GM by a third-party contractor. That generates maps maps showing lane level data, topography, the radius of road curves and more, allowing Super Cruise to adjust speeds when necessary. That's particularly important on rural roads and highways that are more likely to have tight curves, steep hills and other potentially dangerous sections.

The automaker has taken a slow approach to its driver assistance system, especially compared to rival Tesla, which offers a $12,000 Full Self Driving system that can operate on city streets. GM recently unveiled the Ultra Cruise system that could also work in cities, saying it could be used "95 percent" of the time hands-free. However, that program was reportedly cancelled, with GM now fully focusing on Super Cruise.

GM offers 15 vehicles with Super Cruise, including pickups, SUVs, the Bolt EUV and all Cadillac models. Up until now, it's largest Super Cruise expansion took place in 2022, growing from 200,000 to 400,000 miles. 

As part of its NBA All-Star coverage press release, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it'll stream live sports with Dolby Vision for the first time ever. The feature will be available to Max subscribers with supported Dolby Vision TVs "via the B/R [Bleacher Report] Sports Add On," the company said. 

Dolby Vision has been available for streaming films and TV series for ages, but this will mark the first time it comes to live sports. Warner Bros. Discovery hinted that it'll soon be available across NBA, NHLA, MLB, NCAA and US soccer games as well. Max has already been using Dolby Atmos sound to enhance live games.

Sports streams arguably stands to benefit most from Dolby Vision, as it boosts brightness levels, clarity and color. Dolby has previously said that real-time HDR feeds will be handled intelligently to so that bright areas aren't blown out and detail isn't lost in shadows. The company has also said that live feeds will adjust accordingly to the device they're being played on so they're optimal for each display.

This weekend's NBA All-Star coverage will be first to get Dolby Vision. Coverage includes the game on Sunday, February 18 starting at 8PM ET, as well as a special two-hour NBA All-Star Tip-Off show at 6PM.

Max launched the Bleacher Report tier on October 5, offering live sporting events including MLB, NBA, NHL and NCAA. It also offers access to all of WBD's pre- and post-game shows, along with Bleacher Report highlights, documentaries and more. The company recently extended the deadline for free programming until February 29, 2024. After that, it'll cost $10 per month, but the addition of Dolby Vision makes it a more compelling option. 

Sony has lowered its PlayStation 5 sales forecast for fiscal 2023 significantly and now expects to sell 21 million units, down from a previous forecast of 25 million. That's despite posting record quarterly revenue and selling 8.2 million PS5s over the holiday season. So far this fiscal year, Sony has sold 16.4 million consoles, bringing its total to 54.8 million overall. (The company sold 19.1 million PS5s in fiscal 2022.)

Sony announced in December that it had sold 50 million PS5 units over three years, as of December 9, 2023. That's just a week longer than it took the PS4 to achieve the same number, and the latter wasn't bogged down by supply chain issues and a worldwide pandemic. 

Revenue was up 16 percent over the same quarter last year, thanks in part to improved sales of non-first-party titles. However, operating income was down significantly (26 percent), due a drop in first-party sales and losses on hardware due to promotions. In other words, PS5 sales aren't meeting the company's expectations despite discounts. 

Sony has seen higher sales in all three quarters this year compared to last. That might not continue this year though, as it's forecasting sales of just 4.6 million for Q4 2023 (February to April), down from 6.3 million in Q4 2022. 

In terms of new first-part games, Sony noted that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has sold 10 million units (as of February 4) since its release in October 2023.

Almost all other Sony divisions saw higher revenue, including its Imaging & Sensor Solutions division (Sony makes sensors for iPhones and many other devices), along with Pictures and Music. That resulted in a record 3.75 trillion yen for Q3 ($24.9 billion) compared to 3.08 trillion yen the year before ($20.5 billion). 

Nothing announced that it will reveal its latest Phone 2a on March 5th, but there's a not-great surprise for American fans of the product. Rather than being released officially like the Phone 2, the device will come to the US as part of a "developer program." That sounds a lot like the way it released the original Phone 1, which was sold for $299 stateside under a similar-sounding "Beta Membership" program.

The company didn't reveal any images of the device or pricing, but the company may use a simplified Phone 2 esthetic. That unique design was a standout feature thanks to the transparent Gorilla Glass back, 11 LED "Glyph" strips, a metal frame and curved edges. 

The Phone 2a is rumored to be a budget version of the Phone 2, which cost $600. In a teaser video, the company questioned how it could make it "cheaper" and also mentioned that it has made better supplier connections so it can pass the savings onto consumers. Earlier rumors peg the European price around €400 ($430), with the savings chalked up in part to a cheaper MediaTek Dimensity 7200 processor. 

The same rumors suggests it'll have a simplified interface with fewer LED strips, plus dual cameras centered at the top like eyes on a head (backed up somewhat by Nothing's "See the world through fresh eyes," as The Verge points out). Sketches shown in Nothing's release video appear to back up that claim. We may learn more soon, as Nothing is holding a press conference in Barcelona for Mobile World Conference (MWC) on February 27th. 

Apple Cash may soon offer a "virtual card number" in the iOS 17.4 beta that can be used to shop online where Apple Pay isn't available, according to a Reddit post spotted by 9to5Mac. The new feature promises a new security code for every transaction and the number can be accessed in Safari's Autofill for easy use. 

In the beta, Apple Cash users are prompted to "set up virtual card number." Once that's done, you can see it via the settings menu, including the card number, expiration date and security code. The number is separate from the one used for Apple Pay transactions and can be changed, according to 9to5Mac. 

As a reminder, Apple Cash is similar to a debit card, allowing you to send and receive money via Apple Pay and the Message app. Funds can be stored and it can be linked to a bank account or other debit card to transfer money back and forth. Apple Pay cashback earnings are paid off as Apple Cash, and funds can be used to pay off Apple Pay balances. 

Apple Cash used to be operated on the Discover Network, but Apple switched over to Visa back in 2022. Until now, though, Apple Cash has had no card number, so using it online was a non-starter. Apple says 15 percent of retailers still don't accept Apple Pay — so with the virtual card number, you might be able to pay with Apple Cash on those sites. The feature is still in beta on iOS 17.4, which is supposed to arrive in March. 

Reddit/simpledsp