Not surprisingly, Sony formalizes the Xperia 5 IV, successor to the Xperia 5 III and miniaturized version of the Xperia 1 IV. Retaining its small chassis, it benefits from several improvements, in particular its battery, 11% larger than that of its predecessor. Enough to support the gluttony of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and its screen, announced as 50% brighter. What are the other new features? Answer.
Japanese (and Korean) builders like to keep their habits. A well-constructed calendar on which partners, whether equipment manufacturers, operators or distributors, can rely to anticipate their actions. It is therefore without great surprise that we learned a few days ago of the arrival of the Xperia 5 IV, the latest of the Sony brand smartphones which will accompany the Xperia 1 IV and Xperia 10 IV at the end of the year. were launched in the first half. The launch was scheduled for today. It is therefore high time to discover this phone.
Xperia 5 IV: the format of the Xperia 5 III, the lines of the Xperia 1 IV
And not surprisingly either, the Xperia 5 IV, like the Xperia 5 III, is the right combination of its predecessor and its high-end reference model. You therefore find the same format as the Xperia 5 III with some new features from the Xperia 1 IV, particularly in terms of ergonomics. The edges, always in aluminium, are straight and matt. The completely redundant Google Assistant button is removed. And the mineral glass on the back, matte, goes from Gorilla 6 to Gorilla Victus.
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The rest of the external features of the Xperia 5 IV are similar to those of the Xperia 5 III. A fairly small format, as always. An IP68 waterproof chassis. A few small tenths of a millimeter have been gained in height and width (for a weight that increases by 4 grams), but nothing that really changes habits. A 6.1 inch OLED panel Full HD+ 120 Hz. A double front loudspeaker compatible with Dolby Atmos, a 3.5 mm jack port on the upper edge. A very practical fingerprint reader on the edge.
Brighter screen, new SoC, more generous battery…
There are still some differences between the Xperia 5 IV and the Xperia 5 III, but they are not visible. First, a maximum brightness improved by 50%. This was precisely one of the weak points that we noted last year. We will see, with our probe, what it is during our complete test. Another improvement, inside this time, with the SoC: the Xperia 5 IV is powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 than the Xperia 1 IV. Promise of high performance. To dissipate the heat, Sony relies on a classic vapor chamber and sheets of graphite. Hopefully that’s enough in such a small format.
With a brighter screen and a more powerful SoC, we could have feared a lower autonomy. But it’s the good surprise of this Xperia 5 IV: the battery has been strongly reinforced. It goes from 4500 mAh to 5000mAh. Or 11% better. Integrating such a big battery into such a small mobile is a great performance. It is compatible with 30 watt fast charging (50% recharge in 30 minutes according to Sony) and, for the first time in an Xperia 5, wireless charging.
In photos, the Xperia 1 IV looks worse than the Xperia 1 III
Are there any new photos? Yes, but not the ones we absolutely expected. And above all, Sony makes some difficult-to-explain concessions. These include the 3x/4.4x periscopic zoom: it has been replaced by a more traditional 2x zoom which will be fine for portraits, but less optimized for distant details. Also, the sensor size is smaller.
The other technical specifications of the back sensors are identical. Sony, on the other hand, promises improvements in video: 4K @ 120 fps, real-time autofocus, live streaming tools, and more. At the front, the selfie sensor evolves: it goes from a small 8 megapixel sensor to a large sensor 12 megapixels. This is great for influencers that Sony specifically targets with this mobile. Finally, note that, like the Xperia 1 IV, no accessories are delivered with the Xperia 5 IV, not even a USB Type-C cable.
One question remains unanswered: the price. This smartphone will be offered at 1049 euros. Given the price inflation applied by all manufacturers this year, we were afraid that the Xperia 5 IV would be very expensive. It is almost nothing: yes, the Xperia 5 IV is more expensive than its predecessor, but 50 euros only. A controlled increase (at the cost of the sacrifice of the periscopic zoom), despite some improvements. That’s very good news. At this price, the Xperia 5 IV is one of the cheapest high-end smartphones at the end of the year.
