Sony Xperia 5 IV Launched With Bigger Battery and Flagship Specs

Sony’s latest flagship phone has just become official, completing its 2022 lineup of phones. As always, the Xperia 5 IV is not as high-end as Sony’s top-of-the-line Xperia 1 IV that came out in May, but it’s still equipped with flagship hardware nonetheless.

Its key selling points are its compact size and flagship specs available at a lower price than the top-of-the-line Xperia 1 IV.

Design and Display

In terms of design, the Xperia 5 IV is virtually identical to its predecessor. It has the same 6.1-inch OLED panel with 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, but the phone is a huge 1mm shorter than before and 4g heavier as well. The Gorilla Glass 6 protection has been updated to Gorilla Glass Victus and the display is 50% brighter than before. The fingerprint sensor stays on the side as per Sony’s tradition and IP68 water resistance is still there.

The 3.5mm headphone jack’s existence deserves an honorable mention on a flagship phone in 2022.

Internals and Storage

Even though most other flagships in H2 2022 are updating to TSMC’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Sony is sticking with the standard SD8G1 from Samsung. The difference in processing power, however, is only minor, even on paper. Another honorable mention would be the microSD card slot that comes alongside the 8GB/128GB memory configuration, which is a bit low for a top-end phone today but having the option to expand is still a big plus.

The phone will boot Android 12 out of the box and will be upgradable to Android 13.

Cameras

The camera setup is mostly the same as before. It is a conventional 12MP triple camera module consisting of a primary wide-angle lens, an ultrawide camera, and a telephoto lens. All three cameras have autofocus but only the primary and ultrawide units have OIS. The variable 3x-4.4x periscope has been replaced with a 2.5x zoom.

The selfie camera has been updated to a larger 12MP 1/2.9″ sensor, which is the same as Xperia 1 IV with a fixed focus 24mm f/2.0 lens.

Battery and Pricing

Battery capacity has been upgraded to 5,000 mAh (from 4,500 mAh) and there is support for 30W fast charging, though you will have to get your own charger. The battery can hit 50% with a 30-minute charge and Sony says that the cell can retain its health for up to 3 years.

As always, Sony plus flagship equals a huge price tag, and the Xperia 5 IV is no different. The phone will cost €1,049 at launch and can be had in Green, Black, and Ecru White color options.

Sony Xperia 5 IV Specifications

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
• CPU: Octa-core (1×3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.40 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.70 GHz Cortex-A510)
• GPU: Adreno 730
• OS: Android 12
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, 5G
• Display:
  • 6.1″ OLED with 1080 x 2520 pixels resolution, 120Hz, 1B colors
• Memory:
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Internal: 128GB
  • Card slot: yes
• Camera:
  • Rear (Triple): 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7″, 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
    12 MP, f/2.4, 60mm (telephoto), 1/3.5″, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
    12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.5″, Dual Pixel PDAF
  • Front: 12 MP, (wide), 1/2.9″
• Colors: Green, Black, Ecru White
• Fingerprint sensor: Side-mounted
• Battery: 5,000 mAh, 30W fast charging
• Price: €1,049