Sony reveals new Xperia 5 IV compact smartphone

Sony has announced a brand-new Xperia smartphone. The Xperia 5 IV was unveiled at IFA 2022 in Berlin: a compact sibling to Sony’s flagship Xperia 1 IV, the 5 IV has many of the same features packed into a smaller frame. Among other things, that means an unusual 21:9 display, a chunky rear camera with a video-capturing bias and – miraculously – a 3.5mm headphone jack.

But let’s start with the new features. Compared to the Xperia 5 III, the 5 IV is ever so slightly slimmer but a touch heavier, weighing in at 172g (vs 168g). It has a bigger battery – the same 5,000mAh one found inside the 1 IV – with wireless charging capabilities and uses the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor (compared to the Snapdragon 888 found inside the 5 III).

Interestingly, from our briefing it seems that the triple rear camera (three 12MP lenses) has dropped the shifting focal length technology of the 1 IV, instead settling for static 16mm, 24mm and 60mm focal lengths. These cameras shoot 4K video at up to 120Hz and use a larger image sensor for improved night photography.

These are the most obvious changes, although Sony also notes that the Xperia 5 IV’s panel is 50% brighter than the previous model. Unlike the 1 IV, which is available in a 12GB RAM/256GB storage configuration, the 5 IV sticks with the same 8GB RAM/128GB storage as the Xperia 5 III.

Elsewhere, it’s business as usual. The Xperia 5 IV looks nearly identical to its predecessor, with the same slim profile and dedicated camera shutter button. It uses the same 6.1in 21:9 OLED panel (FHD+ resolution) and the same 12MP front-facing camera. It has the same commitment to content creation, too: features such as Sony’s LDAC and 360 Reality Audio should appeal to audiophiles, while the huge range of camera-centric technology on offer (from blur-reducing SteadyShot and Eye Auto-Focus to the External Monitor feature for Sony camera users) might catch the eye of streamers or videographers.

The Xperia 5 IV is IP68-rated against water and dust ingress and supports microSD cards up to 1TB in size. It’s available in late September 2022 and will cost €1,049 (around £904).

Written by

Will Georgiadis Author

Since 2018, Will has been the engine of the Expert Reviews production team as sub-editor, senior sub-editor, and now production editor. Will is responsible for making sure that the content Expert Reviews publishes is of the highest quality; he also keeps the team’s vast workflow running smoothly and maintains the ancient and revered Expert Reviews style guide. With five years of experience behind him and thousands of articles edited, sub-edited and triple-checked, Will is confident that you won’t find a single mistake on the site – and if you think you have, you’re wrong.

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