Sony Xperia 1 IV Review: Camera King
Sony Xperia 1 IV features a stunning 4K OLED display, powerful Snapdragon chip, pro-grade cameras, long battery life, and sleek design.
Sony Xperia 1 IV is more than just a regular smartphone—it’s designed for creative professionals. While it’s not best choice for everyday users due to its high price, basic design, and lack of AI-powered photography, it shines as a tool for photographers, videographers, and audio creators.
Key features include continuous optical zoom (3.5x to 5.2x), 4K 120fps video recording on all cameras and an advanced audio recording app. These make it ideal for those who need precision and creative control.
However, it has downsides. Fingerprint sensor is unreliable and software glitches can be annoying. At a premium price that surpasses even some foldable phones, it’s not for everyone. But for creators willing to invest, it offers unique tools that are hard to find elsewhere.
Sony Xperia 1 IV Specification
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date 🗓️ | June 11, 2022 |
| Weight ⚖️ | 185g |
| Dimensions 📏 | 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm |
| Operating System 📱 | Android 12, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Storage Options 💾 | 256GB/512GB, microSDXC |
| Display 🌟 | 6.5 inches, 1644 x 3840 pixels (OLED, HDR) |
| Chipset 🔧 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| CPU 🧠 | Octa-core, up to 3.00 GHz |
| RAM 💻 | 12GB / 16GB |
| Main Camera 📸 | Triple: 12MP (Wide), 12MP (Telephoto), 12MP (Ultra-wide) |
| Selfie Camera 🤳 | 12MP, 4K Video |
| Battery 🔋 | 5000mAh, 30W Wired Charging |
| Charging ⚡ | 30W wired, 50% in 30 minutes (advertised) |
| Audio 🎶 | Stereo speakers, 3.5mm jack, Hi-Res audio |
| Water Resistance 💧 | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant |
| Connectivity 🌐 | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, USB Type-C |
| Fingerprint Sensor 🔒 | Side-mounted |
| Price 💵 | $648.00 / £650.00 / €539.99 |
| Performance (AnTuTu) 🚀 | 838832 |
| Performance (GeekBench) 📊 | 3403 |
| Performance (GFXBench) 🎮 | 74fps |
| Endurance Rating ⏳ | 100 hours |
Sony Xperia 1 IV Price and Release
Sony Xperia 1 IV is priced at $1,599 in the US for 512GB version, and £1,299 in the UK for 256GB version. Unfortunately, it’s not available in Australia. This price is higher than Xperia 1 III, which was $1,299.99 / £1,199.99 for 256GB.
Compared to its rivals, Xperia 1 IV is more expensive. For example Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra costs $1,299.99 for 256GB, while iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,199 for 256GB.
Phone launched in Europe on June 16, while the US release was delayed from September 1 to September 22 without an explanation from Sony.
Sony Xperia 1 IV Design
Xperia 1 IV has a tall, thin, angular design that may not feel very comfortable to hold due to its flat edges. It’s light at 185g and has a glass front and back with a metal frame, offering solid protection with IP65 and IP68 ratings against dust and water.
It keeps 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C port, a volume rocker, a power button with a fingerprint scanner, and a camera shutter button, which is useful for photography. Shutter button lets you take photos quickly and helps with focus like a real camera. However, fingerprint scanner is often unreliable, failing to recognize fingerprints frequently.
Sony Xperia 1 IV Display
Xperia 1 IV has a 6.5-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 4K resolution, and a 21:9 aspect ratio. It looks great, especially when playing high-res videos or games, but most of the time, it doesn’t reach 4K to save battery.
While the display size is 6.5 inches, its long, thin design makes it feel larger. Main improvement is brightness, which is 50% brighter than previous model. However, in bright outdoor settings, it still isn’t as bright as other phones, making it hard to see in direct sunlight.
Sony Xperia 1 IV Cameras
Xperia 1 IV has impressive features for serious photographers, though it’s not best choice for casual users. It offers four cameras, including a 12MP main and ultra-wide camera, with improvements like a 12MP front camera for 4K video recording.
Standout feature is continuous optical zoom, which smoothly shifts between 3.5x and 5.2x zoom without relying on digital zoom. This is great for zoom photography, but it would be better with a higher resolution sensor for more zoom range.
Camera app could be confusing for non-professionals, with its manual settings. However, filmmakers will appreciate ability to record 4K 120fps video on any of cameras. There are some issues, such as no audio during 120fps recording and occasional focus problems with telephoto camera.
A notable problem is inability to playback 4K video recorded in apps like Cinema Pro, which could be a frustrating bug for filmmakers.
Sony Xperia 1 IV Performance and Specs
Xperia 1 IV is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset which offers plenty of power for gaming and video recording. However, it tends to overheat during intensive tasks like gaming, video recording or charging, causing performance drops and occasional app crashes.
Phone performs well for gaming, thanks to its 21:9 display, which provides more screen space. Its built-in speakers are great for movies, though using headphones still offers a better audio experience.
Sony Xperia 1 IV Software
Xperia 1 IV runs Android 12 with a clean, stock design, but it lacks Material You customization tool. It has several pre-installed apps, most of which are useful Sony tools, like Photo Pro, Video Pro, Cinema Pro, Music Pro, Bravia Core and Headphones. These apps are great for creative users, offering tools for photo and video editing, music mixing, and streaming Sony content.
Some third-party apps, like Tidal, Prime Video, and Netflix, are included, while others like Booking.com and Amazon Shopping feel out of place. Phone’s tall display is excellent for multitasking, and its smooth refresh rate enhances navigation.
Sony Xperia 1 IV Battery Life
Xperia 1 IV comes with a large 5,000mAh battery, a nice upgrade from its predecessor. Despite its 4K display, 5G, and background apps, battery lasts all day with typical usage like as social media, texting and music streaming. Intensive tasks like as 4K video recording, consume the battery faster, but it still works well.
Charging speed is slower with only 30W wired charging which is much slower compared to some 2022 phones that offer up to 150W. Sony claims slower speed helps preserve battery health. There’s also wireless charging, though it’s even slower, and reverse wireless charging to power other devices.
Pros and Cons of Sony Xperia 1 IV
| ✅Pros | ❌Cons |
|---|---|
| 📸 Great camera zoom | 🔒 Fingerprint scanner issues |
| 🌟 Nice display | 🎥 Video playback problems |
| 🔋 Long-lasting battery | 💰 Very expensive |
| ⚡ Powerful processor | ⚡ Slow charging |
| 🎬 4K 120fps video recording | 🧳 No expandable storage |
Conclusion
Sony Xperia 1 IV offers amazing creative features, like continuous optical zoom for photography and 4K 120fps video on all cameras. It also has a great display, powerful processor and long battery life. However, its fingerprint scanner can be unreliable, and its high price may deter many buyers.
