Sony reveals new Xperia 5 IV compact smartphone

Sony has announced a brand-new Xperia smartphone. The Xperia 5 IV was unveiled at IFA 2022 in Berlin: a compact sibling to Sony’s flagship Xperia 1 IV, the 5 IV has many of the same features packed into a smaller frame. Among other things, that means an unusual 21:9 display, a chunky rear camera with a video-capturing bias and – miraculously – a 3.5mm headphone jack.

But let’s start with the new features. Compared to the Xperia 5 III, the 5 IV is ever so slightly slimmer but a touch heavier, weighing in at 172g (vs 168g). It has a bigger battery – the same 5,000mAh one found inside the 1 IV – with wireless charging capabilities and uses the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor (compared to the Snapdragon 888 found inside the 5 III). 

Interestingly, from our briefing it seems that the triple rear camera (three 12MP lenses) has dropped the shifting focal length technology of the 1 IV, instead settling for static 16mm, 24mm and 60mm focal lengths. These cameras shoot 4K video at up to 120Hz and use a larger image sensor for improved night photography.

These are the most obvious changes, although Sony also notes that the Xperia 5 IV’s panel is 50% brighter than the previous model. Unlike the 1 IV, which is available in a 12GB RAM/256GB storage configuration, the 5 IV sticks with the same 8GB RAM/128GB storage as the Xperia 5 III.

Elsewhere, it’s business as usual. The Xperia 5 IV looks nearly identical to its predecessor, with the same slim profile and dedicated camera shutter button. It uses the same 6.1in 21:9 OLED panel (FHD+ resolution) and the same 12MP front-facing camera. It has the same commitment to content creation, too: features such as Sony’s LDAC and 360 Reality Audio should appeal to audiophiles, while the huge range of camera-centric technology on offer (from blur-reducing SteadyShot and Eye Auto-Focus to the External Monitor feature for Sony camera users) might catch the eye of streamers or videographers.

The Xperia 5 IV is IP68-rated against water and dust ingress and supports microSD cards up to 1TB in size. It’s available in late September 2022 and will cost €1,049 (around £904).