The Sony Xperia 1 IV that I examined for NextPit is proof that Sony actually would not care about going towards the move, but in addition about your buying energy. This 1600 {dollars} smartphone presents an incomplete and unbalanced expertise and when you’re not blissful, effectively, you will simply should cope with it.
Good
- Stunning 2K OLED display in 21:9
- Efficient steady optical zoom
- Premium design with 3.5 mm jack and expandable storage
- Clear Android interface with good multitasking options
Unhealthy
- Battery life is a bit brief with intensive use
- 30 W wired charging will not be sufficient
- Solely 2 Android updates and three years of safety patches
- Costly
Sony’s new smartphones in a nutshell
The Sony Xperia 1 IV is on the market since Might 2022 at a value of 1600 {dollars} for a single reminiscence configuration of 12/512 GB. It’s the flagship of Sony this 12 months and its most important promoting level is its telephoto lens with an actual optical zoom.
Absolute Sony followers will see the Xperia 1 IV as one of the best smartphone ever, that goes with out saying. And on paper, this smartphone has some severe firepower. However as a layperson, or a minimum of not a fan of Sony smartphones, I discovered the expertise to be relatively un-permissive, even punishing at occasions.
Design
The Sony Xperia 1 IV has the identical design adopted by its producer for a number of years already. This anachronistic look retains a sure plain allure but in addition betrays a merciless lack of audacity.
What I appreciated:
- microSD reader, 3.5 mm jack.
- Gorilla Glass Victus on the back and front.
- IP68 licensed.
- Entrance audio system.
What I disliked:
- Unchanged design for a minimum of two generations.
The Sony Xperia 1 IV retains the monolithic look of its predecessors. It is clearly not probably the most ingenious design, however I discover that this “carved out of 1 piece” look with its matte black coating and mixed with the lengthy and slender 21:9 kind issue nonetheless holds up very effectively. Its largest benefit, which too few rivals supply, is that it has two entrance stereo audio system. You do not danger obstructing them when the smartphone is in panorama mode.
The aluminum body and Corning’s Gorilla Gass Victus on the back and front reinforce the premium really feel of the smartphone. On the precise edge, we discover the quantity buttons and the fingerprint reader. All are well-placed and simply reachable. Just under it, we even have the two-step photograph shutter launch which is extraordinarily satisfying to make use of.
The twin SIM port can all the time be eliminated with out instruments, which may be very handy and doesn’t stop the Sony Xperia 1 IV from being IP68 licensed. The twin SIM port can accommodate a microSD card to develop storage. And Sony nonetheless presents a 3.5mm jack. I feel it is very nice that Sony goes towards the tide on this level, in comparison with different high-end Android smartphones.
Sony Xperia 1 IV show
The Sony Xperia 1 IV includes a 6.5-inch OLED show with a 21:9 side ratio and a 4K decision of 3840 x 1644. This type issue, a signature of Sony smartphones, appears extra related to me than prior to now, nevertheless it did not persuade me 100% both.
What I appreciated:
- The 4K and 21:9 combo is ideal for (some) films and sequence.
- The shape issue is effectively tailored to multitasking and scrolling.
- A lot of settings for the display.
- Effectively-calibrated default colorimetry.
What I disliked:
- Fastened and non-adaptive refresh fee.
Just like the design, the Sony Xperia 1 IV’s display is strictly the identical as final 12 months’s Sony Xperia 1 III. However, in contrast to final 12 months, I am extra receptive to that well-known 21:9 side ratio that a few of you worship.
When the content material is tailored to it, it’s totally good to observe Netflix or YouTube in full display with out having to zoom and crop the picture. However not all content material is appropriate. Even on Netflix, I typically come throughout sequence in 16:9, for instance. And on YouTube, I nonetheless too typically have the black bars on the perimeters, like on another non-Sony smartphone in 20:9. However, Sony has hidden the selfie digicam below a black bar on the high of the display, in order that it by no means breaks the immersion when viewing full-screen content material.
One other small flaw is that the refresh fee is fastened and may solely be set to 60 or 120 Hz. I might have appreciated it to be adaptive. The utmost brightness of 600 nits on the entire panel is appropriate to make sure good readability even outdoor.
Lastly, I loved the 21:9 side ratio fairly a bit outdoors of multimedia purposes. I discover it notably appropriate for multitasking but in addition for purposes with a vertical interface. It is extra enjoyable to scroll via my information feeds as a result of I’ve extra content material on the display. However, when you have small fingers, some parts on the high of the display are usually not the simplest to succeed in.
Interface & working system
The Sony Xperia 1 IV runs on a really stock-like Android overlay, based mostly on Android 12. The interface may be very clear, a bit austere in some locations, and the software program replace coverage is sort of restricted.
What I appreciated:
- Clear interface.
- Very intuitive multitasking capabilities.
What I disliked:
- Various bloatware for a $1600Â smartphone.
- Professional purposes are too inaccessible.
- Software program upkeep is proscribed for this value.
Total, we’re on a really traditional Android 12 interface. The menus for customizing the house/lock display, the At all times-on show and the wallpaper are unchanged in comparison with what we will have on a Pixel.
However there are some particularities particular to Sony such because the very beneficiant display settings, but in addition and particularly the multitasking capabilities. The windowed mode and break up display mode are very intuitive and assist you to absolutely exploit this lengthy 21:9 display.
I will not go into element about Sony’s Music Professional, Video Professional, and Cinema Professional purposes. The primary of them, Music Professional, is a dictaphone a bit augmented that lets you enhance the standard of your voice and/or music recordings. However this perform, known as “studio tuning”, works through the cloud and requires the creation of an account in addition to a subscription as soon as the 100 MB free trial is over.
There are additionally new variations of Video Professional and Cinema Professional. These are merely extra superior variations of the native video software (Video Primary) with an entire bunch of settings. However I am far too blind to the topic to grasp the true curiosity and provide you with a related opinion.
Efficiency
The Sony Xperia 1 IV options Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. This chip is thought for the overheating issues it causes within the smartphones it equips. And it was not otherwise with the Sony Xperia 1 IV.
What I appreciated:
What I disliked:
- Overheating issues.
- Unstable efficiency.
When it comes to uncooked energy, the Sony Xperia 1 IV performs like different smartphones with the identical SoC. It may possibly unsurprisingly run all cell video games with graphics at max and at 60 FPS.
| Â | Sony Xperia 1 IV | Samsung Galaxy S22 Extremely | iPhone 14 Professional Max | OnePlus 10 Professional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3D Mark Wild Life | 8487 | 6872 | Too highly effective | 9541 |
| 3D Mark Wild Life Stress Check | Finest loop: 9615 Worst loop: 4866 |
Finest loop: 7036 Worst loop: 4436 |
Finest loop: 9599 Worst loop: 8121 |
Finest loop: 9845 |
| Geekbench 5 | Single: 1181 Multi: 3433 |
Single: 1155 Multi: 3356 |
Single: 1885 Multi: 5406 |
Single: 982 |
However, like all smartphones outfitted with the identical SoC, the Sony Xperia 1 IV additionally suffers from severe overheating and subsequently stability issues. On the Wild Life benchmark of 3DMark, which simulates intensive use for 1 minute, the smartphone delivered a really disappointing stability fee of fifty.80%.
And on 3DMark’s Wild Life Stress Check benchmark, which simulates intensive use for 20 minutes, we will see that there are some massive FPS losses. And on the finish of every benchmark, the Sony Xperia 1 IV was extremely popular on the again.
Photograph high quality
The Sony equips a triple photograph module on the again with three 12 MP sensors but in addition and above all with a telephoto lens that gives two ranges of optical zoom between which you’ll zoom steadily.
What I appreciated:
- Good publicity and dynamic vary administration in vast and ultra-wide-angle.
- Efficient optical and steady zoom from x3.5 to x5.2.
- 4K video with all lenses, even the selfie one.
What I disliked:
- The photograph app will not be accessible sufficient to noobs like me.
- Colorimetry is relatively bland/too pure.
- No devoted night time mode.
Mainly, the Sony Xperia 1 IV’s telephoto lens presents two fastened optical magnification ranges: 3.5x (85mm equal) and 5.2x (125mm). These two optical magnifications may be obtained with the identical lens, whereas you would need to change from one lens to a different on competing smartphones.
However the benefit of this method is that between every of those two zoom ranges, you may function a progressive zoom as a substitute of abruptly altering lenses. This steady zoom lets you have an optical zoom on every of the magnifications included on this interval between 3.5x and 5.2x.
And in follow, I discovered the Sony Xperia 1 IV’s zoom to be fairly efficient. However I would not say that the continual zoom has a lot to do with it. Personally, I discover the 2 focal lengths of three.5x and 5.2x too shut to one another for the completely different optical zoom ranges to be related inside that vary.
However general, I used to be not transcended by the photograph high quality of the Sony Xperia 1 IV. The wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle photographs endure from a bland colorimetry for my style. I do know that purists swear by pure rendering, however I discover it lacks punch.
However, I’ve to salute the publicity administration and the dynamic vary of daytime photographs. Focusing can be very quick on the Xperia 1 IV.
As for the portrait mode, it was fairly disappointing and complex to search out within the photograph software. And actually, that is the final fault of the Sony Xperia 1 IV photograph module: it’s not accessible sufficient. In fact, there’s a “Primary” mode that appears like another photograph software for the common person. However even on this mode, you may shortly get misplaced within the menus and settings.
I perceive that Sony is attempting to emulate the interface that could possibly be discovered on one in every of its Alpha cameras. However for a pictures beginner, I discover the shortage of intuitiveness of the photograph software too complicated.
On the video facet, the Xperia 1 IV information as much as 4K at 30 FPS with all lenses. In order for you a better body fee, there may be additionally the 1080p choice at 60 FPS. Within the Cinema Professional app, you may unlock 4K at 24, 25, 30, 60, and 120 FPS.
Sony Xperia 1 IV battery
The Sony Xperia 1 IV integrates a big battery of 5000 mAh. This accepts 30W wired quick charging, 15W wi-fi and permits 5W reverse wi-fi charging.
What I appreciated:
- No proprietary protocol.
- Wi-fi and reverse wi-fi charging.
What I disliked:
- Disappointing battery life.
- No charger within the field.
- Sluggish full cost at 30W.
Regardless of its nice charging capability, the Sony Xperia 1 IV’s battery left me a bit confused. I ran PC Mark’s Work 3.0 benchmark with the display set to 200 nits brightness and 120 Hz enabled. And the smartphone solely lasted 8.20 hours earlier than dropping under the 20% remaining battery life mark. That is a poor rating, with the low finish of the basket averaging a minimum of round 10 hours.
I checked out different assessments on-line and noticed scores of round 10 hours of battery life in a number of of them. Regardless of this, I discover my outcome surprisingly dangerous. Perhaps it is attributable to a foul calibration on my half, however in any case, each day and with my common display time of 5 hours most, I used to be all the time capable of final a day however no extra.
Sony Xperia 1 IV technical specs
| Â | Technical information |
|---|---|
| Identify of the machine | |
| Illustration |  |
| Display | 6.5-inch OLED, 3840 x 1644 pixels (4K), 120 Hz refresh fee, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, 21:9 side ratio |
| Dimensions | 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm (H x W x D) |
| Weight | 185 g (together with battery) |
| SoC | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| Reminiscence | 8 GB RAM 256 GB ROM |
| Software program | Android 12 |
| Expandable reminiscence | Sure, as much as 1 TB |
| Extensive-angle most important lens | 12 MP | f/1.7 aperture | 1/1.7 inch OIS, PDAF, and real-time monitoring |
| Extremely wide-angle lens | 12 MP | f/2.2 aperture | 1/2.5 inch | 124° FOV PDAF |
| Telephoto lens | 12 MP | 1/3.5 inch | 85 – 125 mm | f/2.3 – f/2.8 apertures, FOV 28° – 20 |
| Selfie | 12 MP |
| Video | 4K | 120 fps | OIS, EIS |
| Audio | 2 Dolby Atmos stereo audio system positioned in entrance 3.5 mm jack |
| Battery | 5000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 30 watts |
| Wi-fi charging (Qi) | 15 watts (reverse wi-fi charging 5 watts) |
| IP certification | IP65/68 |
Last verdict
The Sony Xperia 1 IV clearly goes towards the tide of the high-end Android market. And in some methods, that is an excellent factor.
I discover that the design, whereas fairly dated, retains an plain allure and sophistication. I’ve reconciled myself to the 21:9 side ratio and located it actually related for multitasking. I feel Sony deserves a medal for providing a 3.5mm jack and particularly expandable storage on a high-end smartphone in 2022.
In brief, the Sony Xperia 1 IV does loads of issues proper. And it is clearly an announcement of intent from Sony that refuses to bend to sure market dogmas.
Nevertheless, I feel that this rebellious facet of Sony additionally betrays a sure insolence. I imply that Sony absolutely assumes that the Xperia 1 IV expertise is incomplete. The photograph software may be overwhelming The replace coverage is frankly disappointing for such an costly smartphone. The autonomy is at greatest appropriate, no extra. And the photograph high quality will not be one of the best available on the market, though the technical feat of steady zoom is a feat in itself.
In brief, Sony would not care when you just like the Xperia 1 IV or not. Sony would not care when you discover it too costly. As a result of Sony thinks that each one these flaws are price it. Personally, I do not assume so. What about you?