What you need to know
- Sony announced the Xperia 1 IV with an improved camera setup and larger battery.
- The phone's telephoto lens can capture true optical zoom between 3.5x to 5.2x.
- The Xperia 1 IV will sport a new Music Pro app for recording professional-grade audio and full-scale songs.
- Sony also launched the Xperia 10 IV with a triple camera setup, 5000mAh battery, and multiple colorways.
Google may have pre-announced the Pixel 7 series before its Fall launch, but it's not the only company discussing phones months before they arrive on the market. The new Sony Xperia 1 IV was announced this week with impressive specs and a hefty price tag, but it won't be available for several months.
Like the Xperia phones before it, the Xperia 1 IV is aimed at content creators. Sony outfitted the device with a triple camera setup consisting of three 12MP cameras. However, the company has stepped things up by allowing all three cameras to shoot video at 120fps 4K HDR. This means you'll be able to get smooth zoom from the ultrawide, wide, and telephoto cameras.
Speaking of zoom, Sony's new periscope telephoto lens physically moves to offer "true optical zoom" between 85mm and 125mm equivalent (3.5x to 5.2x), resulting in smoother zoom and better image capture before digital cropping comes into play.
Upfront, users will be happy to know that Sony has finally improved the front-facing camera, which now sports a 12MP resolution. This should make selfies crisper and allows the camera to shoot video at 4K HDR.
That selfie camera sits in the Xperia 1 IV's bezels, which house the front-facing stereo speakers and sandwich the 6.5-inch 4K 120Hz OLED display, making this a great phone for content consumption. However, Sony highlight's the phone's content creation features thanks to the inclusion of the 3.5mm headphone jack, which can be used to connect to a wireless mic. Additionally, you'll be able to use the phone's built-in mics to record "professional-level" audio with the new Music Pro app. The app will help reproduce studio-like audio recordings by reducing noise and reverberation and can even separate vocals from instruments so you can edit the tracks separately.
The phone also enhances Sony's already excellent gaming experience by allowing users to livestream their gameplay, and gamers can even view comments during the livestream so they can respond in real-time.
Powering the Xperia 1 IV is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which puts it above many of the best Android phones. There's also a large 5,000mAh battery, quick charging, and wireless charging. However, this package won't come cheap, as Sony is asking for an eye-watering $1600 for the phone. That's nearly as much as the folding Galaxy Z Fold 3 (which you can find cheaper with deals) and more than the dual-screen Microsoft Surface Duo 2. But as usual, Sony isn't targeting the average consumer and instead expects creators to shell out for a phone that essentially acts as a full creator studio.
That said, if you're interested in the Xperia 1 IV, you'll have to wait to get it, as Sony won't actually bring it to market until September. That's right, September. Still, you can preorder the phone now and snag a free pair of WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds to sweeten the deal.
Finally, Sony announced the new Xperia 10 IV. This mid-range device is powered by the Snapdragon 695, which you'll find on many of the best budget Android phones. It sports a 6-inch 21:9 OLED display, a triple camera setup with HDR and OIS, and a 5,000mAh battery. Sony says that this is the lightest 5G smartphone to sport said battery capacity.
The Xperia 10 IV will be available in black, white, Mint, and Lavender colorways and is available for preorder now in select markets. Fortunately, it will arrive on the market much sooner than its flagship counterpart, with a mid-June release set.
