Sony Xperia 1 IV

The Sony Xperia 1 IV, launched on June 11, 2022, is a premium device targeting users who value a high-quality display and advanced camera features. It measures 165mm in height, 71mm in width, and 8.2mm in depth, weighing 185g.

Build Quality

The Xperia 1 IV maintains a sleek and rectangular design, typical of Sony's flagship line. It feels solid in hand despite its relatively light weight, constructed with a durable material, likely metal and glass. A side-mounted fingerprint sensor provides convenient and reliable biometric security. The device has no gaming buttons and does not feature a cooling system, and while it includes an accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensor, compass, barometer, and color spectrum sensor, it lacks a notification LED.

Screen Quality

The phone sports a 6.5-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1644 x 3840 pixels and a pixel density of 643 ppi, resulting in an incredibly sharp and detailed picture. The panel supports 1 billion colors, offers a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling, and features HDR BT.2020. The display is a 21:9 aspect ratio and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. This OLED screen does not use LTPO technology. It also incorporates a 240Hz touch sampling rate, DCI-P3 coverage, 100% NTSC color gamut and is a 10 bit panel. The display has no notch, it is capacitive, multi-touch, frameless, and features scratch resistant glass. The display lacks any specific HDR certifications, or any mention of brightness.

Camera Performance

The Xperia 1 IV boasts a versatile quad-camera setup. The primary camera is a 12MP unit using a Sony Exmor RS CMOS BSI sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and 1.80µm pixel size. Additionally, there's a 12MP ultrawide lens with an f/2.2 aperture. The telephoto lens is a 12MP sensor with an f/2.3 aperture and a 1/3.5" sensor using the Sony IMX650 Exmor RS CMOS BSI sensor with 1.0µm pixel size and 3.5-5x optical zoom. A fourth ToF 3D sensor is also present, although lacking in detailed specification. The front-facing selfie camera is 12MP with an f/2.0 aperture. The rear camera array uses ZEISS calibrated lenses with ZEISS coating. Video recording is available at 4K resolution up to 120fps with HDR, OIS, and EIS, including the Optical SteadyShot Flawless 9. The telephoto lens includes an optical image stabilisation. A Slow motion video feature is available up to 960fps. The camera features optical and digital zoom, and hybrid zoom up to 15.6x, autofocus with phase detection, and the capacity to capture RAW images. DXOMark gives the mobile camera a score of 105 overall, with a 107 for photos and a 92 for video.

Software Experience

The device ships with Android 12, upgradable to Android 13. This indicates that while it has current software, it may not receive future Android updates for as long as newer devices. The device does not come with bloatware or extra apps.

Battery Performance

The phone is powered by a 5000mAh Li-Polymer battery. It supports 30W fast charging with bypass charging and cannot be removed. Wireless charging is not mentioned, which suggests its absence.

Value for Money

The Sony Xperia 1 IV is positioned as a high-priced phone. Multiple versions exist, including a 12GB RAM and 256GB storage version, a 12GB/512GB variant, and select regional options with 16GB RAM and 512GB of storage. The price of the 12GB/512GB version fluctuates around $640 to $1400 depending on the retailer. The phone's features, especially the advanced camera system and the high-resolution OLED display, will likely appeal to photography enthusiasts and media consumers willing to invest in a premium mobile experience. The absence of wireless charging and the use of an older OS version should be taken into consideration when purchasing.