The Sony Xperia 1 IV is a vintage lesson in evolution, somewhat than revolution. To start with look it sounds as if just like the Xperia 1 III, however there are small adjustments that make giant variations.
Adjustments like an replace to the newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, a larger battery, and tweaks to the digital camera gadget make this a extra flexible slab for the focussed audience of this telephone: cinephiles, audiophiles and artistic execs. However a few of these variations, as I’ll pass into, are unwelcome.
Has Sony struck the proper steadiness and produced a tremendous smartphone, or are its issues simply an excessive amount of? Let’s in finding out.
Sony Xperia 1 IV value and configurations
The Sony Xperia 1 IV is a dear beast at £1,299 for the 256GB model in the United Kingdom, going as much as $1,599 for a 512GB fashion in america.
This pricing places it smartly above its closest pageant within the likes of the OnePlus 10 Professional and iPhone 13 Professional Max.
There are a few offers underneath even though that may get you a cut price and a few beautiful superior freebies.
Sony Xperia 1 IV design
Sony’s Xperia telephones have one specific aesthetic, which can reputedly by no means exchange. That’s no longer essentially a foul factor given the usage of top class fabrics and a polished, utilitarian personality in all black.
This vintage glass-and-metal sandwich comes with a dual-SIM tray at the backside that you’ll take away and not using a pin, and more than a few buttons at the proper edge together with a devoted digital camera shutter button. As for ports, you’ve two: a USB-C and a warmly welcomed 3.5mm headphone jack.
Similar to the 3rd technology, the Xperia 1 IV measures in at 6.5 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches with a weight of 6.5 oz.. The prolonged duration and towering show make this telephone taller, however considerably lighter than the iPhone 13 Professional Max (6.3 x 3.1 x 0.3 inches, 8.5 oz.). As for the OnePlus 10 Professional, the size are so much nearer, however a equivalent tale to the Professional Max comparability (6.4 x 2.9 x 0.33 inches, 7.1 oz.).
Sure, that is moderately the lengthy slab, which doesn’t make it the very best telephone to suit into smaller wallet, however it’s relaxed to carry because of its light-weight, thin footprint. And let’s be truthful, Sony does stand out among the various generic smartphones with a tool that simply exudes cool from each and every perspective.
Sony Xperia 1 IV show
If it ain’t broke, don’t repair it. The Sony Xperia 1 IV packs the similar 6.4-inch, 4K (3840 x 1644-pixel) 120Hz HDR OLED panel with a 21:9 side ratio. The consequences are gorgeously sharp and stuffed with colour because of Bravia colour science.
Open up the Bravia Core app and select up some of the unfastened film condominium redemptions to take advantage of it within the likes of Spider-Guy: No Means House, which is an explosion of colour with immersive HDR intensity. Make no mistake about it, it is a dream panel, no longer only for motion pictures however for basic use and gaming too, because of that buttery easy body charge.
The Xperia 1 IV additionally gives a few symbol high quality settings, together with the “Same old mode” that Sony claims expands the unique colour gamut for brighter and extra shiny colour results, together with “Author mode,” which gives 10-bit colour of HDR specification and true copy of pictures and movies for the 4K show.
That is robotically implemented on particular apps, together with the Cinema Professional and Images Professional apps. However let’s be truthful, the 4K answer is overkill. On a 6.4-inch panel, you’ll hardly ever inform the adaptation between this and QHD (2560 × 1440), which begs the query: is it truly value it?
However as it’s, that is, undoubtedly, some of the very best smartphones for viewing content material that lives as much as its “CinemaWide” branding.
Sony Xperia 1 IV audio
In fact, a just right viewing enjoy wishes robust audio, which this telephone delivers handily thank you to a few key options.
The large headlines listed here are toughen for Hello-Res wi-fi audio, because of the LDAC codec on-board and 360-degree spatial audio. That suggests you’ll take advantage of Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds, or Anker’s Soundcore’s Liberty 3 Professional or the Edifier Neobuds Professional. In case you haven’t heard the adaptation between usual AAC audio and LDAC for your self, it’s night time and day.
Any other giant win is the ongoing toughen for stressed out headphones because of the three.5mm audio jack. My vintage Sennheiser cans are getting a exercise and it speaks to the flexibility of this telephone.
With out headphones even though, the twin stereo audio system with Dolby Atmos ship crisp sonics with out distortion. Certain, they’re tinny at top volumes, as you’d be expecting with any smartphone, however 4 Yr Sturdy’s quilt of “Bittersweet Symphony” sounded nice. The delicate main points shone, whilst the beating loud refrain was once all stored underneath keep an eye on.
Sony Xperia 1 IV efficiency
Beneath the hood, you’ll discover a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset along 12GB RAM and 256GB of on-board garage (in america fashion, this is going as much as 512GB), which is expandable because of the microSD card slot.
In our personal Geekbench 5 checking out, the Xperia 1 IV hit a multi-core rating of three,182. Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 13 Professional thumps it with a 4,718 multi-core rating, however extra unexpected is how this falls at the back of the OnePlus 10 Professional (3,6482 multi-core) in spite of an equivalent processor and equivalent specifications.
This factor may be found in graphics checking out, as the telephone controlled to hit a mean body charge of 41.2 fps in our Wild Existence Limitless 3-D Mark check. Once more, this falls at the back of the iPhone 13 Professional (77 fps) and OnePlus 10 Professional (61 fps).
Sooner than I attempt to take on what the true downside is right here, it’s value noting that during real-world use, those numbers don’t truly topic, as you’re going to get a fluid Android person enjoy. It could possibly take on all your daily duties and prosumer use instances, akin to recording 4K HDR video at 120 fps. Plus, multitasking is a cinch with that 12GB of RAM.
However there’s no denying those numbers are a bit of underwhelming given what specifications are in right here. What’s inflicting this decelerate? I’ve researched equivalent issues confronted via different homeowners of this telephone and I will be able to most effective chalk it down to 1 factor: thermal throttling.
As I allude to all the way through this evaluate, the telephone does get very popular very speedy. I don’t have a temperature gun to test it scientifically, however in non-public use, it does get uncomfortably heat underneath mid-to-strenuous use stipulations. One small, welcome development is that the video app doesn’t close down after a couple of mins because of overheating, so it is a profitable vlogging telephone evidently.
It’s my trust that the deficient thermal control results in this drop in efficiency. In maximum use instances, it’ll no longer be an issue, however nonetheless, Sony truly wishes to handle this factor with higher cooling strategies.
Sony Xperia 1 IV battery Existence & charging
The Sony Xperia 1 IV packs a beefy 5,000 mAh battery and 30W charging and wi-fi charging capacity. Stamina has at all times been just a little of a shifting goal with Xperia telephones — particularly with that 4K show and a strong chipset. However this does do somewhat smartly.
I made it thru an ordinary day (a couple of hours of internet surfing, calls, messaging, being attentive to podcasts and Spotify all day, social media use, quite a lot of YouTube binge looking at, and wrapping up with some gaming within the night) with about 20% closing. With the incorporated charger, I juiced the telephone as much as 50% in simply over half-hour.
Are you able to kill the battery briefly? Certain. The usage of the professional digital camera apps soaks up the juice speedy, however for daily use, you received’t have an issue.
Sony Xperia 1 IV cameras
Now it’s time for the opposite jewel within the Xperia 1 IV’s crown: the digital camera gadget. Put merely, when you’ve got an in-depth wisdom of digital camera settings and truly need to have that guide keep an eye on, it’s some of the very best within the industry.
On paper, it’s all similar to the 3rd iteration, as you’ll discover a 12MP 24mm primary lens with f/1.7 aperture, a 12MP telephoto lens as much as 125mm with an f/2.3 aperture, and a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide with a 124-degree box of view — all of which include Zeiss optics.
However there may be one small however impactful replace. Relatively than the telephoto shooter flipping between a 70mm and 125mm lens and providing you with most effective two zoom levels to pick out between, the Xperia 1 IV has a completely optical zoom between 85mm and 125mm. It’s an incredible piece of engineering that during observe, results in an greater versatility within the zoomed pictures you’ll take — all of which take pleasure in the similar correct colour science and element of its different lenses. Even though, you’ll stumble on a touch of noise across the edges, because of the narrower aperture.
Those cameras mix with Sony’s professional images DNA within the type of two apps: Images Professional and Cinema Professional. Alpha digital camera customers will really feel proper at house, however digital camera noobs will wish to take a while to be informed the entire options you’ll play with past the usual auto. That’s as a result of whilst leaving the entirety as much as the telephone does produce first rate pictures with a flatter colour profile and powerful readability, it takes a bit of guide keep an eye on to truly extract the most productive imaginable pictures.
The features awarded thru those settings, akin to changing the shutter pace and white steadiness, way you’ll let your inventive thoughts run wild — supplied what you’re doing, as those choices can get moderately convoluted.
As soon as once more, the ultra-wide is a large number of amusing to make use of, because of the detailed, expressive pictures it may possibly take with the similar colour science as the primary, along a slight little bit of planned lens warping across the edges for a slightly of persona.
There isn’t a devoted night time mode right here and the effects could be a little bit of a combined bag. Every now and then, Sony displays its muscle with genuine readability in low gentle when set to auto, which you’ll strengthen via going guide and lengthening the shutter pace or publicity. However in different moments at night time, this does result in uninteresting and noisy pictures.
I will be able to respect the paintings the corporate has accomplished in handing over a best notch digital camera in maximum lighting fixtures stipulations, however it simply wishes even probably the most rudimentary of night time modes to finish the package deal.
Plus, the 12MP selfie digital camera delivers a pleasing, detailed shot with the assistance of eye detection for sharp center of attention and hand gesture popularity to take footage via waving, which reduces the digital camera shake of pushing the button.
Shifting over to video, I’ll simply pass forward and say this is likely one of the very best telephones for snapping clips. The visible constancy and expressive colour of the 4K seize is a large step above maximum Android flagships — shooting the most productive gradual movement video I’ve ever noticed as much as 120fps.
In Auto mode, the video is beautiful usual, however with the good thing about the entire customized settings in Cinema Professional, you’ll get some nice cinematic content material with direct keep an eye on over center of attention duration, the white steadiness, ISO and shutter speeds, along pre-installing customized LUTs (or what Sony calls seems) so as to add some further expression. However do be warned, the usage of this app heats up the telephone to uncomfortable temperatures. Don’t contact the again in the middle of a heavy taking pictures consultation!
General, the cameras are an actual energy for Sony’s Xperia 1 IV, for the proper target market. If you wish to set the digital camera to auto and pass the iPhone 13 Professional Max, Galaxy S22 Extremely or Pixel 6 Professional have the brink, however for inventive execs who’ve the information and endurance to tweak settings for every shot, you’ll get a masterpiece.
Sony Xperia 1 IV instrument
The Sony Xperia 5 III runs Android 12 with 0 bloatware except for for a hyperlink to a unfastened 3-month Tidal subscription for lossless audio streaming. The UI overlays added that will help you triumph over the taller show are helpful, with simple get entry to to split-screen multitasking and the Aspect Sense bar for extra keep an eye on.
Sony does stumble with instrument replace toughen, even though. Whilst there’s no respectable coverage on how lengthy the corporate will toughen the Xperia 1 IV, historical past suggests you’ll get two years of updates. That is disappointing, as you’re ready to get well instrument toughen from inexpensive telephones.
Final analysis
The Sony Xperia 1 IV is an iterative development over the III, which tightens up one of the issues however nonetheless falls sufferer to a large number of the similar problems.
There may be some transparent thermal throttling that forestalls the stellar Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset from working at its very best, the lengthy design is probably not for everybody and let’s be truthful — packing a 4K show in one thing this small supplies a slightly noticeable development on the behest of an additional little bit of battery juice.
However for digital camera execs and Xperia enthusiasts, those problems are simply forgiven in what’s a cracking telephone for images and leisure!
