The Xperia 5 IV is a compact flagship from Sony, announced on September 1, 2022. It started at $999 in the US and costs €1,049 in Europe. Sales began in Europe in September 2022, while US shipments followed at the end of October. The phone targets buyers who want flagship hardware in a narrow body. It also keeps features that many rivals have dropped.
Design and display
The body measures 156 x 67 x 8.2 mm and weighs 172 g. An aluminum frame sits between two panes of Gorilla Glass Victus, and the phone carries IP65 and IP68 ratings. The colors are Black, Green and Ecru White. In the US, Sony sold Green only through its own store.
The 6.1-inch OLED panel has a tall 21:9 shape and a 2520 x 1080 resolution. That works out to about 449 ppi. It runs at up to 120 Hz and supports HDR10. Sony says it is up to 50% brighter than the previous model. A side-mounted fingerprint reader handles unlocking.
Performance
The phone uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, paired with 8 GB of RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. Most markets received the 128 GB version. A 256 GB model was sold in some regions, including China and Japan. A microSD slot accepts cards of up to 1 TB. Connectivity includes 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 and NFC. A 3.5 mm headphone jack and front-facing stereo speakers are also included.
Cameras
All three rear cameras have 12 MP sensors and ZEISS T* coatings. The 24 mm main camera has an f/1.7 lens, a 1/1.7-inch sensor and optical stabilization. The 16 mm ultrawide uses an f/2.2 lens. The 60 mm telephoto uses an f/2.4 lens and provides 2.5x optical zoom. The rear cameras record 4K video at up to 120 fps, and a physical shutter button is built in.
The front camera also has 12 MP and an f/2.0 lens. It moved to a larger sensor than the predecessor’s and records 4K HDR video.
Battery and charging
The 5,000 mAh battery supports wired charging at up to 30 W. Sony quotes a 50% charge in 30 minutes with its XQZ-UC1 charger, which is sold separately. Neither a charger nor a USB-C cable is included in the box. Wireless charging is new to this series, and Battery Share can pass power to other devices.
Software and updates
The Xperia 5 IV shipped with Android 12 and a near-stock interface. Sony adds its own camera and video apps. Sony Japan promises up to two OS upgrades and three years of security updates, counted from launch. Counted from the 2022 launch, that three-year window has now ended.
Should you buy the Xperia 5 IV?
This phone suits buyers who want a narrow body with a headphone jack, a microSD slot and a shutter button. It also fits users who shoot video and want 4K at 120 fps on every rear camera. However, the update promise is short, and the Xperia 5 V has already replaced it. Keep that in mind before buying one today.
