Just like how summer follows spring, a Sony Xperia 5 IV will follow the Xperia 1 IV, and we're expecting both phones to get announced fairly soon (though to only go on sale much later).
We've been hearing a few details about the former phone which, based on precedent, will be a smaller alternative to its big sibling. Specs have emerged via a regular leaker on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
According to the leaker, the new phone will have a 6.1-inch screen, three 12MP rear cameras (including a main, ultra-wide and 3x optical zoom telephoto), and a glass body. So far, so similar to the Xperia 1 III.
Some changes are also detailed: apparently the phone will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, which is the new powerful processor for 2022, and it will also apparently have a battery capacity that's "increased a little" from the 4,500mAh one in the older Xperia, though an actual size isn't mentioned.
Previous generations of Sony phone have been unveiled in the first few months of the year, though typically gone on sale much later (the Xperia 5 III only went on sale in the US at the start of 2022) so, while we might see if these specs are correct soon, it might be a while before we can test out the new phone.
Analysis: a close Galaxy S22 rival
The Samsung Galaxy S22, which was launched recently, is a tiny bit smaller than its predecessor - at 6.1 inches, co-incidentally, so if this Sony rumor is true the phones could have similar sizes.
Similar, but not identical: the phones will have different aspect ratios for their displays, and the Xperia will likely be longer and thinner than the Galaxy.
Either way, these phones both seem targeted at users who don't want giant phones, and just want compact small little things.
The Sony Xperia 5 IV might have an advantage though: if this rumor is true, its battery capacity will be at least 800mAh more than the Galaxy S22 - that's a big enough difference to be noticeable. So the Sony might last quite a bit longer before needing to be recharged.
We'll have to wait for the Xperia to be announced before we decide which is best, but that might be a little while, so stay tuned for news and rumors in the meantime.
