Sony announces Xperia 5 IV smartphone: 4K/120p video, improved AF, brighter screen and more

 

 

Sony has unveiled the Xperia 5 IV, the company's latest compact smartphone. The new smartphone includes many features found in Sony's higher-end, larger smartphones, like the Xperia 1 IV, while delivering improved performance compared to its predecessor, the Xperia 5 III.

Let's look first at the cameras. The Xperia 5 IV includes a rear triple-camera array. At its core, these seem like the same cameras with the same 12MP resolution across 16mm F2.2, 24mm F1.7 and 60mm F2.4 lenses. However, all three now feature 120 frames per second readout speeds. With the improved speed, Sony has added Real-time Eye AF and Real-time Tracking to all three rear cameras. Like other Xperia smartphones, the lenses include Zeiss T* coating, and the phone has a physical shutter release button. By the way, the front-facing camera is all-new and delivers a 12MP resolution, up from 8MP. The front-facing camera's sensor is larger, too, resulting in improved low-light performance.

As for video, the improved sensor performance means that you can record 4K/120p video with all three rear cameras. The Xperia 5 IV's speed allows for impressive slow-motion video capabilities. The smartphone is designed with vloggers, streamers and content creators in mind, so the phone's built-in apps, like Videography Pro, make it straightforward to capture high-quality video content. You can also use the phone as an external monitor by connecting it to compatible Alpha mirrorless cameras or use Sony's optional Vlog Monitor (XQZ-IV01).

The smartphone's physical design has also seen improvements. It still includes a 6.1-inch FHD with a 21:9 aspect ratio, but it's the brightest FHD+ display ever included in an Xperia smartphone, promising about 50% higher brightness than the prior model. The new phone uses a larger 5,000mAh battery with fast wireless charging, includes improved stereo speakers, and delivers 5G connectivity, although mmWave isn't supported. The phone is 156mm tall (6.14 in.), 67mm (2.64 in.) wide and 8.2mm (0.32 in.) thick and weighs only 172g (6.1 oz.).

 

 

Driving the phone's performance is a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset with 8GB of RAM. The device includes 128GB of internal storage, which is expandable via a microSD card slot. The phone ships with Android 12.

The Sony Xperia 5 IV will begin shipping by the end of October for $1,000. The device will be sold unlocked in a black colorway through Sony authorized retailers. A special green color will be available directly through Sony. Preorders begin today at 11:00 a.m. EDT. For a limited time, customers who preorder the phone will receive Sony's latest noise-canceling wireless earbuds (WF-1000XM4), a $280 value. For more information, visit Sony.