Sony today finally announced its latest flagship smartphone in the series, the Sony Xperia 1 IV. The new premium device packs a lot, and it has improved camera capabilities, and it borrows some Pro features from the Sony Xperia Pro and Pro-i smartphones.

The new Xperia 1 IV comes with a similar look to the previous Xperia 1 III. It still packs the same 6.5-inch OLED 120Hz 4K display, and it comes equipped with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. The phone has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of base storage, and the camera also received a few noticeable and welcome improvements to support the new Pro features. Audiophiles will also be glad to hear that the 3.5mm headphone jack is still here.

Sony Xperia 1 IV: Price & Availability

The Sony Xperia 1 IV is an expensive device, and it’ll set you back – prepare to get shocked – $1,599.99 in the US, £1,299 in the UK, and €1,399 in Europe. It’s unclear if the US will get the cheaper 256GB storage variant. It’s one of the most expensive devices today, and it costs a whopping €100 more than last year’s Sony Xperia 1 III. It’s less expensive than the Sony Xperia Pro-I, but it costs significantly more than other competitive devices in its range.

Configuration

United States (USD)

United Kingdom (GBP)

Germany (EUR)

12GB RAM + 256GB storage

Unknown

£1,299

€1,399

12GB RAM + 512GB storage

$1,599.99

£1,578 (as shown on Amazon)

Unknown

The Sony Xperia 1 IV will be available in the US from September. The device is already available for pre-order in the UK on Sony’s website, on Amazon, and EE. Shipping will begin on June 16. European customers can also pre-order from Amazon, and shipping will start on June 11.

Sony Xperia 1 IV
Sony Xperia 1 IV

The new Sony Xperia 1 IV comes with 5G, a 6.5-inch 4K 120Hz display, and a powerful camera setup on the back. The battery also received a bump up to 5,000 mAh, and it's perfect for capturing memories both day and night.

Sony Xperia 1 IV: Colors

Sony Xperia 1 IV in Black, Violet and White colors

Sony Xperia 1 IV in Black, Violet and White colors

Source: Sony

The Sony Xperia 1 IV (pronounced as “Mark 4”) will be available in three color options, including Black, White, and Violet. Some colors may be exclusive to a few retailers, and some of the color options don’t appear to be available at some stores, depending on where you plan on purchasing.

Sony Xperia 1 IV: Specifications

Category

Sony Xperia 1 IV

Operating System

Android 12

Display

6.5 inches, 21:9, 1,644x3,840 (643 ppi), OLED, 120Hz

Chipset

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

Memory

12GB

Storage

256/512GB UFS storage

Expandable Storage

Yes, microSDXC up to 1 TB

Primary Camera

12MP, ƒ/1.7, 24mm, 1.8μ, 1/1.7"

Telephoto Camera

12MP, ƒ/2.3-ƒ/2.8, 85mm-125mm, 1/3.5", 3.5-5x optical zoom

Ultrawide Camera

12MP, ƒ/2.2, 16mm, 1/2.5"

Front Camera

12MP, ƒ/2.0, 24mm, 1/2.9"

Security

Side-mounted fingerprint reader

Connectivity

5G (mmWave is US only), Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC

Ports

USB-C 3.2, 3.5mm headphone jack

Audio

Stereo speakers, LDAC

Battery

5,000mAh, 30W fast wired charging, wireless charging, reverse wireless charging

Water Resistance

IP68

Materials

Gorilla Glass Victus (front/back), aluminium frame

Dimensions

6.50 x 2.80 x 0.32 inches (165 x 71 x 8.2 mm)

Weight

6.53 oz (185 g)

Colors

Black, White, Violet

Release Date

11 May 2022

Price

from $1,599.99, £1,299, €1,399

Design

Sony Xperia 1 IV design

Source: Sony

The design of the Sony Xperia 1 IV hasn’t changed a lot from the Xperia 1 III. The dimensions are the same as the Xperia 1 III at 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm. It has the same back matt back glass panel. Both the front and back panels are covered by the Gorilla Glass Victus, and the frame is made out of aluminium.

The camera layout, LED flash, earpiece, speaker, and even the 3.5mm headphone jack are located in the same place as last year’s Sony flagship. The most noticeable difference is on the side, which appears slightly flatter.

Display

Sony Xperia 1 IV display

Source: Sony

The Xperia 1 Mark 4 comes with a 6.5-inch OLED panel. It’s a 4K panel with a 1,644 x 3,840 resolution, 21:9 aspect ratio, and 643 ppi (Pixel per inch). Like in previous years, Sony is one of the few OEMs to equip its devices with such a panel, although it’s worth noting that the resolution defaults to 1,096 x 2,560 most of the time while using the device to preserve battery.

Photo, video, and other select applications selectively use the 4K resolution to provide a better experience when watching movies and consuming content. The screen’s main upgrade is that it’s now up to 50% brighter than last year’s Xperia 1 model.

Camera

Sony Xperia 1 IV rear camera setup

Source: Sony

The camera setup on the Sony Xperia 1 IV is similar to the Xperia 1 III, but the telephoto sensor received a significant upgrade, and software also received several updates to improve the camera experience, and compete with other devices, although the focus is mainly at photographers and videographers.

There are three cameras on the back; all of them are 12MP sensors. The primary camera is a 1/1.7” sensor with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and 24mm. The ultrawide sensor has a 1/2.5” sensor with a 16mm lens and autofocus. The telephoto sensor has a 1/3.5” sensor, and surprisingly, it also packs OIS and Autofocus. The telephoto camera has 85mm-125mm range, and it provides 3.5-5x optical zoom.

The shutter button is still here, and it’s located on the right side (while in landscape), and it has two stages to let you focus and capture images and video. The camera setup on the back can also record in 4K at 120fps, and they feature all of the Sony features that you would expect that focus on taking better images and video.

Battery

Sony Xperia 1 IV packaging battery and charger

Source: Pocketnow, Sony

The battery capacity on the new Sony Xperia 1 IV has changed ever so slightly, and the new device now packs a larger 5,000 mAh capacity, compared to the 4,500 mAh on the previous Xperia 1 III. In theory, the new Qualcomm chipset and the larger battery should provide a better battery life, but we’ll have to run our own tests to validate that. Fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging are still supported and here to stay.

The Xperia 1 IV supports 30W fast wired charging, and Sony promises it can go from flat to 50% in just 30 minutes. Sony will also no longer bundle the charger inside the box as the company is trying to cut down on its emissions with its “Road to Zero” green initiative. As a result of the change, the box will be significantly smaller, and customers will have to spend extra to pick up a fast charger if they want to take advantage of the faster-charging speeds.

Sony Xperia 1 IV
Sony Xperia 1 IV

The new Sony Xperia 1 IV comes with 5G, a 6.5-inch 4K 120Hz display, and a powerful camera setup on the back. The battery also received a bump up to 5,000 mAh, and it's perfect for capturing memories both day and night.