Sony Xperia 1 IV and 5 IV are getting Android 13

What you need to know

• Sony has announced that it will update the Xperia 1 IV and Xperia 5 IV to Android 13.
• The company's software update policy gives the two flagship devices up to two major OS updates.
• It remains unknown when Sony will roll out the update to both phones.

Sony is joining other Android OEMs in rolling out the latest version of Android to mobile devices that are eligible for the update. The company's flagship phones, which were released earlier this year, are getting Android 13.

The Japanese tech giant has announced via multiple social media platforms that the Sony Xperia 1 IV and Xperia 5 IV will receive the Android 13 treatment sometime in the future. However, Sony did not provide an exact release date. 

There's also no available changelog yet for the update, but it's a safe bet that both phones will pick up some of the improvements and features already available on many of the best Android phones. This includes the expanded Material You theming options, per-app language preferences, new media controls, and improved media file access, among other options.

Sony introduced the Xperia 1 IV in May of this year for $1,600, positioning the device as a tool for creators. The phone, according to the company, was designed to record professional-grade audio and full-length songs.

A few months later, the handset was joined by its younger sibling, the Xperia 5 IV. It has generally the same design and specs as the Xperia 1 IV, but costs $1,000. Its lower price tag means it is a stripped-down version of the earlier model. While both phones are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, the Xperia 5 IV has a few tradeoffs elsewhere. For example, it has a lower display resolution at 1080 x 2520 versus the Xperia 1 IV's 1644 x 3840.

Both phones came with Android 12, and Sony's software update policy allows the devices to receive two major OS updates. This means the next version of Android will be the last OS upgrade for the Xperia 1 IV and 5 IV.