Sony Xperia 1 vs Xperia 1 IV: A Flagship Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xperia 1 IV offers significant improvements in processing power, charging speed, and battery life, alongside camera enhancements. While the original Xperia 1 remains a capable device, the 1 IV is the clear winner for those prioritizing performance and modern features, justifying its higher price point.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia 1 | Sony Xperia 1 IV |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - Europe |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat19 1600/150 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Asia | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, February 25. Released 2019, May 30 | 2022, May 11 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2022, June 11 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 167 x 72 x 8.2 mm (6.57 x 2.83 x 0.32 in) | 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm (6.50 x 2.80 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 178 g (6.28 oz) | 185 g (6.53 oz) |
| IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~82.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR BT.2020 | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 |
| Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Adreno 730 |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 11 | Android 12, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 3.X | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, predictive dual pixel PDAF, 5-axis OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, predictive PDAF, 2x optical zoom, 5-axis OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.3, 85mm (telephoto), f/2.8, 125mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", dual pixel PDAF, 3.5x-5.2x continuous optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.5", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30fps HDR, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS), 1080p@960fps | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS) | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE Audio, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG, video output |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band or tri-band (region dependent), Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| - | Native Sony Alpha camera support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, PD2.0 | 30W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3330 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Gray, Purple, White | Black, Violet, White |
| Models | J8110, J8170, J9110, J9150, SOV40, SO-03L | XQCT62-B, XQCT54, XQCT54C0V.YD, XQCT54C0B.YD, XQCT54C0W.YD, XQCT54C0V.EEAC, XQCT54C0B.EEAC, XQ-CT72, XQ-CT54, XQ-CT62, SO-51C |
| Price | About 500 EUR | $ 1,120.00 / € 489.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.6dB / Crosstalk -85.2dB | - |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 79h | Endurance rating 100h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.7 LUFS (Good) | -27.6 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 356734 (v7), 418206 (v8) GeekBench: 10985 (v4.4), 2753 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 838832 (v9) GeekBench: 3403 (v5.1) GFXBench: 74fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Xperia 1
- Excellent 21:9 display
- High-quality camera system
- Premium design and build quality
- Good battery life (79h)
- Older chipset (Snapdragon 855)
- Slower charging (18W)
- No reverse wireless charging
Sony Xperia 1 IV
- Significantly faster performance (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1)
- Improved camera with variable telephoto
- Longer battery life (100h)
- Faster charging (30W)
- Reverse wireless charging
- Slightly lower peak brightness (602 nits)
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
Both Xperia models boast exceptional 6.5-inch OLED displays with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate. However, the Xperia 1 IV maintains a slightly lower peak brightness (602 nits vs 665 nits) but offers improved color accuracy and HDR support. The contrast ratio is essentially identical (infinite nominal). The 1 IV's display also benefits from a more efficient panel, contributing to better battery life.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature excellent camera systems, but the Xperia 1 IV introduces several key improvements. It boasts a variable telephoto lens with 3x and 5.2x optical zoom, offering greater versatility. The 1 IV also benefits from improved image processing algorithms and video recording capabilities, including 4K 120fps recording. While the original Xperia 1's camera is still very good, the 1 IV delivers noticeably better image quality, especially in challenging lighting conditions.
Performance
The Xperia 1 IV's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset represents a substantial leap in performance compared to the Snapdragon 855 in the original Xperia 1. The newer chip offers faster processing speeds, improved graphics capabilities, and enhanced AI performance. Expect smoother multitasking, quicker app loading times, and a more responsive overall experience on the 1 IV. The Cortex-X2 core in the 1 IV is a significant upgrade.
Battery Life
The Xperia 1 IV significantly improves upon the original's battery life, achieving an endurance rating of 100 hours compared to 79 hours. This is partly due to the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and the optimized display. The 1 IV also features faster 30W wired charging with PD3.0, PPS support, and reverse wireless charging, a notable upgrade over the 18W wired charging of the original.
Buying Guide
The Sony Xperia 1 is a great choice for users who value a classic, refined design, a stunning 21:9 display, and a proven camera system, and are comfortable with slightly older hardware. The Xperia 1 IV is ideal for photography enthusiasts, power users, and those seeking the latest technology, including faster charging and improved performance, even if it comes at a premium.