Xperia is known for announcing smartphones several months before their actual debut in stores. That happened with the Xperia 5 III that hit the shelves several months after being announced in April of 2021. Considering this release, we can say that the device has almost one year and Sony may be preparing a new successor. In fact, the first rumors about the alleged Xperia 5 IV, the successor, are starting to pop out. According to a report from Weibo, the handset promises to be quite exciting. Of course, for Sony and photography enthusiasts. After all, Sony has completely left the “mainstream” smartphone market to become something oriented to professional photographers. Apparently, it will get the spotlight soon due to the debut of a Snapdragon 8 Gen1+ – powered Xperia 5 IV.
Xperia 5 IV – first details emerge
As per the Weibo user who seems to have deep details about the smartphone, it will bring a 6.1-inch screen. That’s exactly the same size as the current Xperia 5 III. However, the phone will slightly heavier at 180 grams and will use Gorilla Glass Victus on both sides.
The main camera will be Sony’s IMX557 with 12 MP resolution. To those unaware, this was launched with the Xperia 1 II. It’s a 1/1.7″ sensor that has 1.8 μm pixels, which is larger than other smartphones in the market. Except, of course, for its fellows Xperia smartphones. The handset will also bring an IMX 663 that will act as a telephoto lens, last but not least, there is a 12 MP sensor with a dual focal length lens that can switch between 3 x and 4.4 x magnification. The ultrawide snapper will use a 12 MP camera, the IMX363. Considering the specs sheet, the camera in the Xperia 5 IV will be similar to the current one. So, the difference probably will be on the software part.
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It’s interesting to see Sony waiting for the TSMC version rather than using the current Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. That may be a direct effect of the strengthened relations between these two companies. Reports say that Sony is working alongside TSMC to produce the iPhone 14 series image sensors. Moreover, the Japanese firm is working alongside the Taiwanese Semiconductor company to build a Japanese plant that should also help with the PS5 chips manufacturing.
Sony will bring one of the first smartphones with TSMC’s Snapdragon 8 Gen1+ SoC
The Xperia 5 IV will, of course, will feature a modern chipset. However, it’s even fancier than we could expect. As per the leakster, the chipset will be sourced from TSMC instead of Samsung. So, the Xperia 5 IV might be one of the first smartphones with the TSMC’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Also, the chip with SM8475 may reach the market as Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+. This may indicate a late launch for the smartphone. After all, Qualcomm didn’t confirm the TSMC version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. However, we already saw reports showing the company’s discontentment with Samsung’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chips.
Other of the phone aspects include a 3.5 mm headphone jack. This has been a trademark of Xperia flagships when most of the current smartphone brands have left the analog port behind. The battery will also see a bump. According to the leakster, the Sony Xperia 5 IV will cost around CNY 5,600 ($886).
Worth noting that Motorola is also, reportedly, working on a smartphone that will use the TSMC version of Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. That may be the rumored Motorola Frontier which will bring a 200 MP camera.
