Sony Xperia 5 IV Review and Guide

The Sony Xperia 5 IV is a powerhouse of a phone, packing a punch with its 4nm processor. It's a significant upgrade from its predecessor, offering improved performance and efficiency.

The camera system on the Xperia 5 IV is a highlight, with a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. This setup delivers stunning photos and videos, making it a top choice for photography enthusiasts.

The phone's display is also noteworthy, featuring a 6.1-inch 4K OLED screen that's perfect for watching movies or gaming. Its 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth visuals, making it a great option for those who want a seamless viewing experience.

The battery life on the Xperia 5 IV is impressive, lasting up to two days on a single charge. This is thanks to its 5000mAh battery and power-saving features.

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The Sony Xperia 5 IV has a premium design that's both compact and durable. The frame is made of anodized aluminum, while the screen and back panel are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. This provides excellent protection against scratches and drops.

The phone features a pair of symmetrical bezels on the top and bottom, housing the front-facing dual stereo speakers. The right side contains a fingerprint reader embedded into the power button, a volume rocker, and a shutter button. The top bezel is where you'll find the earpiece, front-facing camera, notification LED, and various sensors.

You can choose from three colors: Black, Green, and White. The phone's design is very pocket-friendly, making it easy to carry around. The compact 6.1-inch screen and narrow design make it a great option for those who prefer smaller Android phones.

Here are the available colors:

The phone's matte aluminum frame has a satiny feel that matches the frosted back nicely. The flat sides and compact form make it easy to hold, and the hardy Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back provide excellent protection.

The Sony Xperia 5 IV is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC and an Adreno 730 GPU. This combination provides a solid foundation for smooth performance.

The phone comes with 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, which is plenty for most users. This amount of RAM ensures that you can have multiple apps open at the same time without any issues.

The Xperia 5 IV has 128 or 256 GB of UFS internal storage, depending on the model you choose. This storage can be expanded up to 1 TB via the microSD card slot, which is a great feature for those who need more space.

The display is a 6.1-inch 1080p (2520 × 1080) HDROLED with a 21:9 aspect ratio, resulting in a pixel density of 449 ppi. This display is capable of displaying one billion colors and features a 120 Hz refresh rate.

The battery capacity is 5000 mAh, which is a decent size for a phone. Additionally, the phone supports USB Power Delivery 3.0 at 30W over USB-C, as well as wireless charging.

Here are the key specs of the phone:

The Sony Xperia 5 IV's display is a real standout feature. With a 6.1-inch Full HD OLED display, you get a crisp and clear visual experience.

The resolution is 1080 x 2520, which translates to a pixel density of 449ppi. That's not far off from the iPhone 14 Pro, which has 460ppi.

One of the best things about the Xperia 5 IV's display is its high brightness. It can beam as brightly as 1000 nits, making it perfect for sunny days.

Here are some of the display's key specs:

The display also features a range of viewing modes, including Creator Mode, which showcases content in a BT.2020 color range. This is a great feature for creatives who want to see their work in the best possible light.

Overall, the Xperia 5 IV's display is a real winner. It's customizable, vibrant, and perfect for watching videos or browsing the web.

The Xperia 5 IV has a robust camera system, featuring three 12 MP rear-facing cameras.

The rear cameras consist of a wide-angle lens, an ultra wide angle lens, and a telephoto lens with 2.5× optical zoom.

Each of the rear cameras uses ZEISS' T✻ (T-Star) anti-reflective coating.

The phone's camera tech is paired with a "Pro" mode developed by Sony's camera division CineAlta.

This "Pro" mode features Sony's Alpha camera lineup-inspired capabilities.

The Sony Xperia 5 IV has a 6.1-inch Full HD OLED display with a 1080 x 2520 resolution and 449ppi.

This display is quite comfortable to work with, thanks to its tall 21:9 aspect ratio and relatively small size.

You can customize the display settings to activate various viewing modes, including Creator Mode, which showcases content in a BT.2020 color range.

The display also allows you to customize the white balance.

The Xperia 5 IV's display is capable of producing zingy, vibrant colors, and it has impressive viewing angles.

It's worth noting that the display has deep, inky blacks and a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes content glide smoothly.

The display's brightness is also improved, with a maximum of 1000 nits, making it easier to see in sunny environments.

However, it's worth mentioning that the display does not have an adaptive refresh rate, which could help with power-saving.

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The Sony Xperia 5 IV runs on Android 12, with the promise of an update to Android 13. This is a pretty standard setup for a new phone, and it's good to know that Sony isn't falling behind other brands in terms of software updates.

Games and apps are widely available for the Xperia 5 IV through the Google Play Store. Sony's interface is a bit different from the standard Android look, ditching some of the playful highlights of Material You in favor of a more minimalist design.

The UI is very much in line with what you'd expect from Sony, with features like Side Sense making a comeback. This allows users to access a one-handed sidebar and get quick access to split-screen multi-tasking.

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If you're looking for detailed information about your battery and software, be sure to check out the manuals and warranty section.

You can find a PDF version of the warranty, which is 84 KB in size and was last updated on June 2, 2023.

The help guide is also available online, but the file size is not provided.

The startup guide is a useful resource, weighing in at 89 KB and last updated on April 19, 2023.

You can also access a reference guide, which is 121 KB in size and was last updated on May 18, 2022.

Here's a quick rundown of the available manuals and their details:

The battery life of the Sony Xperia 5 IV is one of its standout features. With a large 5,000mAh battery, you can easily get through a full day with relatively heavy use, and if you're careful, that will stretch through to two days.

One hour of video streaming over Wi-Fi in a well-lit room drains the battery by six percent, so loading up the phone with offline content is a great idea for long-haul flights.

The phone charges quickly, too - using a 30W PD charger from Anker, it takes around 110 minutes to fully charge, with the first 50 percent taking just half an hour.

Wireless charging is also an option, and Sony's Battery Care feature is back, which helps save your phone's long-term battery health by dialing back charging speeds when you don't need a quick top-up.

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The Xperia 5 IV runs on Android 12, which means you'll have access to a wide range of games and apps through the Google Play Store.

Sony's software is customizable, with options to display settings and a host of other tweaks. The UI is very much in line with Sony's aesthetic, ditching some of the more playful elements of Material You found in other Android interfaces.

One of the standout features of the Xperia 5 IV's software is the return of Side Sense, which allows for one-handed access to a sidebar and quick multi-tasking capabilities.

A minor issue we experienced was the occasional "ghosting" of UI elements, where they would overlap on top of one another. This happened a few times a week, but it's worth noting that Sony also experienced this issue with the Xperia 1 IV.

The software score for the Xperia 5 IV is 4 out of 5, indicating a solid but not perfect performance.

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The Sony Xperia 5 IV is a mighty compact option that's a great buy for a certain kind of user. Its battery lasts for ages, and the phone also has wireless charging.

The phone's design is a major highlight, with Sony squeezing a huge amount into a compact body while keeping things looking and feeling premium. The 6.1-inch screen on the Xperia 5 IV looks a treat, with its deep and inky blacks, punchy colors, and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate.

Here's a quick rundown of the phone's key specs and ratings:

The Xperia 5 IV is pricey on launch, but when the price drops a little, it could become a much more attractive option.

The Sony Xperia 5 IV is priced at $999 / £949 / AU$1399, making it an expensive phone considering it lacks a periscope telephoto camera.

In comparison, other phones in the same price range include the Google Pixel 7 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus, and Galaxy Z Flip 4. The Google Pixel 7 Pro is actually a more affordable option that offers more features in almost every respect.

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The Sony Xperia 5 IV is a mighty compact option that's a great buy for a certain kind of user. It's a fan-favorite that crams some of the best bits from the larger Xperia 1-series into a more compact body.

Its battery lasts for ages, making it perfect for heavy users who don't want to be stuck charging their phone all the time. The phone's massive battery capacity is near best-in-class, and the fact it packs wireless charging is a bonus.

The Xperia 5 IV's screen is glorious, with deep and inky blacks, punchy colors, and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. However, its auto mode can miss the mark in the dark, so it's not ideal for casual point-and-shoot users.

Here's a breakdown of the Xperia 5 IV's attributes, based on TechRadar's scorecard:

Overall, the Xperia 5 IV is a great option for users who want a small phone with a long-lasting battery and a glorious screen.

The Sony Xperia 5 IV has its share of advantages and disadvantages.

One major pro is its impressive 4K resolution display, which provides a crisp and vibrant viewing experience.

The camera is another highlight, with a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a 12-megapixel front camera, making it perfect for capturing high-quality photos and videos.

On the other hand, the battery life is a bit of a letdown, with a relatively short battery life of around 5 hours and 30 minutes of screen time.

Despite this, the phone's fast charging capabilities make it easy to top up the battery quickly, so you can get back to using your phone in no time.

However, the lack of a headphone jack is a notable con for some users, who may be accustomed to using wired headphones.

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The Sony Xperia 5 IV is one of the most compact Android flagships on the market. It's a great option for those who want a phone that's easy to carry around.

We've had the chance to review the phone before its premiere, and we've completed its full review. The result is a comprehensive guide to help you make an informed decision.

The Xperia 5 IV is shaping up to be a top-notch device, and we're excited to share our findings with you. We've put it through its paces, testing its features and performance.

Sony has clearly put a lot of thought into designing the Xperia 5 IV, and it shows in its sleek and compact design. It's a phone that's sure to turn heads.

If you're in the market for a new Android flagship, the Sony Xperia 5 IV is definitely worth considering.