Sony has finally officially released the Xperia 1 IV, a phone optimized for photography, video, movies, music and gaming scenarios. The machine is priced at 1400 euros / 1300 pounds in the European market and will be available for pre-order in the next 24 hours, and will go on sale in June. It is unclear when the aircraft will land in the U.S. and other markets.
Sony Xperia 1 IV
Camera
Sony introduced a telephoto camera with variable focal length in last year’s Xperia 1 Mark 3. That one can only switch between focal lengths of 70mm and 105mm, the steps in between are still in the digital realm.
And thanks to a revolutionary new design, the Sony Xperia 1 IV telephoto camera offers continuous optical zoom. And it zooms more at the far end, with a new range of 85mm to 125mm for 3.5-5x optical magnification.
The three cameras on the back of the phone all stick to a 12-megapixel resolution. The main camera has a 1/1.7-inch sensor and a 24mm lens that supports OIS. The ultra-wide-angle camera has a 1/2.5-inch sensor and a 16mm lens (with autofocus). The telephoto camera has a 1/3.5-inch sensor and also has OIS and AF. By the way, the two-stage shutter button is still on the side, following Xperia tradition.
All three cameras have the same capabilities, including 4K video capture at 120 frames per second. They both offer optical image stabilization with FlawlessEye, eye autofocus, and real-time object tracking and autofocus. All cameras utilize image stacking to expand dynamic range and are capable of burst shooting at 20 fps with AF/AE and HDR enabled. An RGB infrared sensor on the back feeds the AI algorithm that controls the camera’s white balance, and there’s a 3D ToF sensor.
This year, it also upgraded the selfie camera to 12 megapixels (up from 8 megapixels), thanks to a new 1/2.9-inch ExmorRS sensor. This allows it to record 4K video too, with HDR booting, though it’s limited to 30fps. Disappointingly, it still lacks autofocus.
Screen
Sony thinks the previous generation’s 6.5-inch 4K AM OLED display was close to perfection, so there are only a few upgrades this year. They’re all important though, such as a 50% brighter screen (brightness was an issue with the Mark 3).
Regarding the build of the phone, this time the phone has Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back. Another change is that Sony has adopted a matte finish for this generation. Regardless, the device is rated IP68/IPX5 for dust and water resistance, as expected.
The 120Hz refresh rate can be utilized where the game supports it. And this year is equipped with a more powerful GPU running, the Adreno 730 of the Snapdragon Gen8 1.
Hardware
As for memory, Sony only offers a version with 12GB of RAM, and anything less isn’t suitable. Storage is 256GB (512GB was not mentioned this time), but you can expand it via a microSD slot, which is very rare in the high-end market. The phone runs pure Android 12.
On the basis of last year, this year Sony has increased the battery capacity by 500 mAh, for a total capacity of 5000 mAh. In view of the new processor and screen, the actual battery life still needs further testing.
Regardless, the phone supports 30W fast charging, which can charge it to 50% in half an hour. Note that there will be no bundled chargers this year – a change Sony is proposing as part of its Green Initiative (Road to Zero). This makes the retail box smaller, and Sony has also made sure it doesn’t contain any plastic. Overall, CO2 emissions were reduced by 36%.
Audio
The Xperia 1 IV has a 3.5mm headphone jack, again an uncommon feature in flagships. Also, the drivers for the front stereo speakers have been improved, their maximum volume has been increased by only 10%, but overall the sound is much better as they provide 20-50% bass. For wireless audio, this is one of the first phones to support the new Bluetooth LE audio technology and the usual LDAC. 360 Reality Audio is now supported by more applications (previously limited to Tidal).
Streaming
Like the Xperia Pro and Pro-I, you can use your phone’s camera or a Sony Alpha camera to stream video and send content over 5G. Sony has a deal with YouTube so you can start a new channel and start streaming right away (usually you need 1,000 subscribers and a verified account).
Sony has also updated streaming accessories to give you more control. The Vlog monitor now provides a waveform view and a false-color view. The Shooting Grip gets a new Endurance Mode for long-duration streaming.
If you’re a game streamer, this phone can mix your voice with game audio. It can also overlay comments on your stream as notifications. If you want to make music, a paid Music Pro subscription allows you to capture your voice and instruments and upload them to the cloud for processing. Sony says the end result is comparable to using a high-quality condenser microphone.
Sony Xperia 10 IV 5G
In the blink of an eye, the Sony Xperia 10 smartphone family has ushered in its fourth-generation new member. While the form factor hasn’t changed much, like the higher-end Xperia 1 IV model, the Xperia 10 IV also sees major improvements in internal specs. The screen is still the iconic 6-inch @ 21:9 aspect ratio, supplemented by FHD+ resolution, but the new machine has been upgraded to a Triluminous OLED panel that is 50% brighter.
While the Xperia 10 IV’s screen refresh rate is stuck at 60Hz, Sony is protecting it with Gorilla Victus Glass. In terms of size, Sony has made the machine slightly shorter (154mm) and narrower (67mm), while also reducing the weight to 161g. But even as it strives to be one of the lightest 5G smartphones on the market, the Xperia 10 IV packs a larger 5000 mAh battery into a compact body.
It should be pointed out that, affected by the environmental protection trend, Sony has also cancelled the original power adapter in the Xperia 10 IV product packaging. If you need to add it, please also note that the machine only supports up to 30W of wired charging power.
In terms of processors, the Xperia 10 IV uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G SoC based on the 6nm process to replace the Snapdragon 690 chipset based on the 8nm process used on the Xperia 10 III.
In terms of multimedia, the machine is equipped with dual front speakers, retains a 3.5mm headphone jack, and supports LDAC HD encoding, 360 audio, and a mixing function that can convert stereo sound sources into surround sound.
In terms of photography, the Xperia 10 IV uses a front-facing 8MP selfie camera that supports AI face Ruihua, supplemented by a rear three-camera combination that uses the previous generation’s 12MP main camera + 8MP ultra-wide-angle + 8MP @ 2X telephoto lens.
This main camera now also supports OIS optical image stabilization, as well as the further optimized Superior Auto advanced automatic mode, automatic high dynamic range (Auto HDR) and dedicated night mode (Night Mode), but unfortunately, it was missed due to the limitation of the chipset 4K video recording.
Finally, the Xperia 10 IV is available in four colors: black and white, mint green, and lavender. It is IP68 rated and comes with an Android 12 mobile operating system pre-installed. The retail price is 499 euros (about 3542 RMB), and the launch date is June 2022.
