The Sony Xperia 5 IV is a small-form version of the Xperia 1 IV from earlier in 2022, bringing lots of the new features of that premium Android phone but touting a smaller size for smaller hands.
That’s the role of Sony’s Xperia 5 family after all, and the Xperia 5 III did the same for the Xperia 1 III. The Xperia 5 IV was announced at annual tech show IFA 2022, surprising people who thought that this phone might not come along, after it didn’t show up alongside its bigger sibling.
People who don’t like the Sony Xperia 1 IV’s big size, or want a more affordable alternative, might find this a tempting mobile, though the handset does miss out on its sibling’s biggest feature – it’s continuous optical zoom module.
We haven’t tested this new device yet, but before we do, here’s everything you need to know about this new smartphone.
Sony Xperia 5 IV release date and price
Sony didn’t actually announce a release date for the Xperia 5 IV, but if it’s going to follow the company’s usual conventions, we expect that it’ll launch in Europe soon, but in the US after that. Sony generally doesn’t release its phones in Australia.
A Euro price was provided, which is €1,049, but we didn’t hear about the cost anywhere else. It’ll likely cost less than its $1,599 / £1,299 Xperia 1 counterpart, at least. For context, the Xperia 5 III started at $949 / £899, but it sounds like the Mark 4 will get a price hike.
Sony Xperia 5 IV design and display
The Sony Xperia 5 IV has the same size screen as its predecessor – that means the display is 6.1 inches diagonally, with a 21:9 aspect ratio, FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
The main upgrade, and something we also saw the Xperia 1 IV enjoy, is that the display is now 50% brighter than it was on the Mark 3. That makes the screen easier to see in direct light, especially sunlight.
In terms of design, equally little has changed, but that should be good for people with smaller hands, as the Xperia 5 line consists of relatively compact phones.
There are three colors for the phone: black, white and green, and it’s a glass phone with a metal frame. There’s an IP65/68 rating, so it’s particularly protected from moisture and small particles.
There’s a physical fingerprint scanner on the right edge of the phone, a USB-C port for powering up, and also a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired audio, which will likely please audiophiles. Oh, and there’s a physical shutter button, which you can use for photography.
Sony Xperia 5 IV cameras and battery life
The Sony Xperia 5 IV gets the same 12MP f/1.7 main and 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide cameras that its predecessor and big sibling both enjoyed, and it also enjoys the same 12MP selfie camera that the 1 IV got, marking an upgrade over the 8MP one on the 5 III.
One odd downgrade, though, is the telephoto camera. The Xperia 5 IV doesn’t get the continuous 85-125mm one that the 1 IV enjoyed, nor even the variable 70-105mm one of the 1 III and 5 III. Instead, it has a 60mm lens, which means it’s worse at zooming than its predecessor. This is paired with a 12MP sensor.
All four of the Xperia 5 IV’s cameras can record 4K 120fps footage, a useful spec for people who like their video recording, and they enjoy lots of the perks that Sony’s Alpha cameras do, like eye autofocus tracking.
Sony has given the Xperia 5 IV a surprisingly big battery, at 5,000mAh, and we expect an impressive battery life as a result. For context, that’s the same size as the Xperia 1 IV has, despite that mobile using a bigger display.
Both phones also have the same charging speed, at 30W, which isn’t particularly fast.
Sony Xperia 5 IV performance and specs
The ‘brains of the operation’ so to speak in Sony’s phone is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. This is a powerful chipset that many top-end Android phones, including the Xperia 1 IV, have enjoyed, and it provides loads of processing power for tasks like gaming.
It also is prone to heating up under pressure though, so don’t expect to be playing Call of Duty Mobile all day without issues.
That’s paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage – there’s only one configuration that’s going on sale. If you think that you might want more storage, there is a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 1TB, so you’ll probably be sorted with that.
This is a 5G phone, so you’ll be able to use it on next-gen networks if you have the right contract and live in a supported area.
The software is near-stock Android 12, but Sony brings lots of its own apps to the party to improve the experience.
New here is Music Pro, which lets you record audio and cleans it up for you. There’s Photography Pro, the default photo app, as well as Cinema Pro and Video Pro, both for capturing video, and a function that lets you stream video from mobile games.
Also present is Sony’s Bravia Core, a streaming service for its movies that commonly comes on its TVs, and you get a few credits to redeem on its newest movies (like Morbius) when you sign in.
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