Discover Sony “Xperia 5 IV”, the ideal device for creators

Over the past few days, I had the opportunity to try Sony’s “α” camera series and “Xperia” smartphone series in a short time.Xperia 5 IVI was able to try out the prototype for about 45 minutes. Although it is a major model, the price starts from $999.99 (about 140,000 yen), so shipping will finally start in the United States.Xperia 1 IVIt’s reasonably priced and easy to justify compared to $1,599.99 (about 190,000 yen).

Courtesy of Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The new Xperia 5 IV (read as Mark 4), like the rest of the Xperia series, is primarily designed for content creators. α series camera users are familiar with users who have experience with advanced still image and video functions. The Xperia 5 IV adopts the “Music Pro” app in addition to the camera function, and supports audio creators who create professional content, whether singing or narrating. There is also a cloud processing option via a subscription.

The Xperia 5 IV adopts the image processing technology used in Sony’s cameras, and features such as “Eye AF” and “Object Tracking” will be installed on the three rear cameras. With apps like Videography Pro, Photography Pro, and Cinematography Pro, creators can fully control image processing capabilities themselves. There is also a function to connect the Xperia 5 IV to the α camera and use it as an external monitor.

specification

Ease of use of the prototype

The Xperia 5 IV was unveiled at the “Kando Trip” event in Idaho, where attendees were able to play with the first prototype for around 45 minutes. The author also combined the same Sony “Vlog Monitor” and Bluetooth shooting grip with the machine to take stills and video. This combination is beneficial in many ways and I can’t wait to try more when the Xperia 5 IV comes closer.

I used an Xperia as my primary device a while ago, but picking up the Xperia 5 IV got me thinking a lot. The narrow body width makes it a fairly compact form factor, even for modern smartphones, and it’s quite comfortable in the hand. The 6.1-inch screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio is suitable for movie-like video content, and with a 5000mAh battery capacity, you can expect it to work for a long time. It has a physical shutter button, 3.5mm headphone jack, and side fingerprint sensor, all of which are bonus features rarely seen on other smartphones.

The combination of Vlog Monitor and Xperia 5 IV is best for creators.
Courtesy of Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Sony has stuck with audio too, with sound coming out via a 3.5mm audio jack, wireless headphones and stereo speakers up front. Bluetooth LE Audio and Sony’s “360 Reality Audio” are also supported.

In the US, if you pre-order the Xperia 5 IV ahead of its October launch, you’ll get Sony’s WF-1000XM4 true wireless headphones. It was reviewed by ZDNET in the United States in 2021 and ranked as the best earphone with active noise cancellation feature at that time. Since it is $279.99 (33,000 yen) on its own, the body price of $999.99 is cheaper by that amount.

Although the specifications are sufficient for a major smartphone, the version of “Android” to install has not yet been announced. When the Xperia 5 IV ships, “Android 13” will be available, but it will most likely come with “Android 12” installed. Qualcomm’s latest chipset is “Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1”, but the processor is “Snapdragon 8 Gen 1”.