Sony Xperia 1 IV leaked in renders showing off a mostly unchanged design

Image: OnLeaks / Giznext

New renders from reliable leaker OnLeaks show that the new Sony Xperia 1 IV is coming soon. The purported sequel to last summer's Xperia 1 III looks to retain a very similar design, including a 6.5-inch screen on a flat-edged slab.

The leaked render shows that the Sony Xperia 1 IV will have a front-facing stereo speaker and a camera on the back. There are three cameras on the back of the Xperia 1 IV, each with 12MP sensors, and one that seems to be telescopic.

Image: OnLeaks / Giznext

The Sony Alpha-like manual camera mode in the 2020 model is one of the features that make the Sony Xperia 1 flagships known to have comprehensive controls for its cameras. The phone still looks like it has a dedicated shutter button on the side, but what will come of the camera remains to be seen.

The leaker of the release details of the Xperia 1 III said that the leaked Xperia 1 IV will have flagship specifications. The leaked specifications include a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, up to 16GB of RAM, and a storage capacity of 512 or more. It looks like the battery is getting an upgrade and may be capable of 45W fast charging. The source says that the Xperia 1 IV may be announced in May.

The price was the biggest problem with the Xperia 1 III. It was difficult to sell at $1,300, with no 5G capability and only two years of promised OS support. If the price stays the same, it will be more expensive than the larger 6.8-inch version of the S22 Ultra, which has an impressive camera system and promises four generations of Android OS. Unfortunately for the predecessor of the Xperia 1 II, it hasn't been widely available yet, despite the fact that Sony released an update for the Xperia 1 III.

Due to restrictions that usually mean purchasing from Sony directly or through Amazon, Sony's Xperia phones have a cult following but never make it to mainstream smartphone status. If the price is right for the Xperia 1 IV, it could deserve some mainstream recognition.