Sony is soon to unveil its new flagship smartphone, thought to be named the Xperia 1 IV. Here’s all we know about it so far, from the camera to the processor and more.
We named the Sony Xperia 1 III as “one of the most interesting phones” that we tested in 2021, and it was named as one of the best Android phones of the year. No wonder, then, that there is so much anticipation surrounding the launch of its sequel: the Sony Xperia 1 IV.
In the following article, we’ve collected all of the available information on the device before its launch, so read on to learn what could be fourth-coming from Sony — including the latest rumours about the camera technology, internal specs, and much more.
Release Date
The Sony Xperia 1 IV will be launched on May 11, 2022.
The following statement was made by the official Sony Xperia Twitter account, teasing “an exciting announcement” from the flagship smartphone range:
You can follow the launch live as it happens by tuning in to the Sony Xperia YouTube channel, where the event will kick off at 8am UK time.
This launch date does seem to roughly fit into the pattern set by previous entries in the series, as you can see below:
- Sony Xperia 1 — 25 February 2019
- Sony Xperia 1 II — 24 February, 2020
- Sony Xperia 1 III — 14 April 2021
One thing to bear in mind is that you still might not be able to buy the devices for some months after their launch; after all, the Xperia 1 III wasn’t available until August – a whopping four months after it was announced.
In the promotional material, as shown above, Sony is keen to underline the achievements of previous models in the range, and has promised that the fourth entry in the series will evolve “to the next level”. Read on to see whether that’s really true, based on all the leaked information that we’ve been privy to so far.
Price and Availability
The best information we’ve received about the price was posted just hours before the main event, by SnoopyTech.
According to this Twitter source, the Sony Xperia 1 IV will be priced at €1299 (~$1475/£1195), which would be a significant €100 increase on its predecessor. Meanwhile, the mid-range alternative from the same series, the Xperia 10 IV, will cost just €499.
Design
One thing that has distinguished Sony’s latest clutch of smartphones from its competitors, perhaps more than anything else, has been their rather distinctive design. With a 21:9 aspect ratio that’s intended to be ideal for enjoying widescreen content, and the retention of a 3.5mm headphone jack and SD card slot for expandable storage, it’s plain to see why it has won itself a devoted fanbase.
However, according to prolific leaker The Galox, something significant about that design could be set to change with the arrival of the series’ next iteration. With no further detail other than “improved design” we’ll just have to keep our eyes peeled for further rumours before launch, but this does hint at an unexpected shake-up.
That said, the reliable Twitter tipster @OnLeaks has released some renders of the new device, in association with GizNext, which seem to confirm that the Xperia 1 IV will stay similar to the tried and tested established by its predecessors.
Camera
A Weibo source (via NoteBook Check) has provided us with some potentially important information on the camera system of Sony’s next smartphone: the ultrawide sensor seems to be completely unchanged, but the telephoto and main wide angle snappers are both set to receive upgrades.
In our review we described the Sony Xperia 1 III‘s ultrawide sensor as “good, if not quite as sharp as some of the competition”, so we might have hoped for this to have been revisited as well. However, our most urgent request would be that the Xperia 1 IV improves its shooting in low-light situations, which lag behind the standards of its flagship peers, so there’s still hope that we’ll see a significant upgrade in this department.
Even pre-launch, Sony has not been shy about hyping up this new camera system; the above video stars the influencer Pierre Lambert, who claims that the new phone feels “as if you had a big optical lens in your hand with a great camera.” This pertains to the zoom camera in particular, so this is the area where we may see the most significant upgrade compared to the other lenses.
On top of improvements to the rear camera, an additional rumour has indicated that the selfie camera will be bumped to a 12-megapixel resolution, up from the 8-megapixel resolution camera that you’ll find on the Xperia 1 III.
Performance
The previous Sony flagships have all come packing Qualcomm’s latest top-end Snapdragon chipset, and so it’s hardly a surprise to hear that the same treatment is rumoured to be in store for the Xperia 1 IV as well.
Apparently the new flagship will arrive with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 onboard, so it should be able to deliver a powerful performance; on top of that, it’s said to boast a minimum 12GB of RAM, and a maximum of 16GB.
In the pre-launch teaser trailer above, Sony has hinted that mobile gamers will be particularly pleased with the improvements that are on the way, quoting the professional PUBG player Xifan Wu as saying “I can now livestream as I play, sharing every move, without anything else.”
Battery
One other key spec for which we’ve received an early tip-off is the battery, and here is where some of the biggest improvements could be found. Not only will the capacity reportedly see a boost (up by 500mAh to a generous total of 5,000mAh), but it seems that the charging system will get an overhaul as well. This time around, we can expect 45W fast-charging (rather than 30W), and the device is thought to support Qi wireless charging as well.
However, the drawback to these improvements is that the Xperia 1 IV will reportedly not come packaged with a charging brick at all, following the precedent set by the likes of Apple and Samsung. So if you want to get the most out of that rumoured 45W charging capability, you’ll likely have to splash out for a new charger on top of the outlay for the phone.
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