Sony’s Xperia 5 IV Wants to Capture You With Its Cameras

Sony today marked the debut of its $999.99 Xperia 5 IV smartphone, a more compact and affordable device than the company’s flagship model, the Xperia 1 IV. Considering the top-notch features and specs Sony stuffed into the frame, it could challenge Samsung’s supremacy in the market for $1,000 phones.

Sony kept the dimensions of the Xperia 5 IV’s display tight. It measures 6.1 inches across the diagonal and offers Full HD+ resolution in a 21:9 aspect ratio—something Sony has kept consistent across all versions of the Xperia 5. The OLED panel supports HDR content and a refresh rate up to 120Hz for smooth on-screen action.

Internally, Sony opted for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, the same one found on the Xperia 1 IV and other leading 2022 smartphones. In fact, the company said the only substantial differences between the Xperia 5 IV and the 1 IV are the size of the screen and the external chassis. As a result, performance and photography should be more or less equivalent between them.

The hallmark feature of the Xperia 5 IV are its trio of cameras, all of which have 12MP sensors. As it did with the Xperia 1 series, this year’s Xperia 5 has ultra-wide, standard, and zoom cameras with the equivalent of 16, 24, and 60mm lenses. Additionally, the Xperia 5 IV records video in 4K at speeds up to 120fps for super smooth results. Other camera features include eye autofocus and object tracking—things that are typically reserved for stand-alone cameras. These tools should help keep subjects in focus more easily.

Rounding out the specs of the Xperia 5 IV, you’ll get a 5,000mAh battery with wireless charging, an IP65/68 rating, and gaming enhancements such as 240Hz Motion Blur reduction, which is designed to create smoother gameplay. The display also supports a 240Hz touch sampling rate as well, another feature often found on gaming phones that allows the screen to respond faster to touch input.

Pitting the Xperia 5 IV against the popular Samsung Galaxy S22+, which sits in the same $1,000 price range, makes for some tough competition. Both phones feature the same powerful processor, but Samsung offers a 50MP primary shooter. The S22+ Also features a bigger 6.6-inch screen, which might be preferable to some potential buyers.

You can preorder the Xperia 5 IV for $999.99. Sony plans to start shipping it on October 27. It’ll be available unlocked in black anywhere Sony phones are sold. The company will also carry a green version, which is available exclusively via Sony’s website(Opens in a new window).