Sony Xperia 10 IV Introduction.
Another year, another growing update of the Xperia 10 series - Sony has just released its popular midrange Mark 4. As has become the norm, the differences are less than the old model, and they are not huge either - Sony prefers where the 10 stands and avoids drastic changes.
Perhaps the most notable development is the exterior, where the Xperia 10 IV marks a return to a frosted finish on the back after two years of glossy panels. The flat-ish aspect is also a departure from the previous installments of the series, and although not as similar to the Xperia 1 IV, there are similarities.
Things get more subtle inside. The Snapdragon 695 replaces last year's model 690. The 5 increase means a new 6nm production process (8nm on the old one), as well as a slightly higher CPU clock. Still, the flip side is the lack of 4K video recording - not on Qualcomm and Sony - although Sony may choose a different chip.
Another key difference is the battery capacity - another increase this year (after last year's jump) the number reached 5,000mAh. And that's because the phone actually weighs 8 grams - Sony says the 10 IV is the lightest phone with 5G and a 5,000mAh battery (some metric it).
This adds more or less significant changes from Mark 3 to Mark 4, but other, more peripheral developments may also be mentioned. For example, the front glass is now Gorilla Glass Victus (older model GG6) and the rear panel is plastic (older model GG6). The main camera now has OIS, but the triple setup is largely unchanged. Similarly, the display is 1.5 times brighter than before, but its refresh rate isn't any faster - it's still a 60Hz panel.
No change can be a good thing - Xperia 10 IV is IP65 / IP68 rated for dust and water protection. It also has classic precision like the headphone jack and MicroSD slot.
Sony Xperia 10 IV specs at a glance:
Body: 153x67x8.3mm, 161g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, plastic frame; IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins).
Display: 6.0" OLED, HDR, 1080x2520px resolution, 21:9 aspect ratio, 457ppi; Triluminos display.
Chipset: Qualcomm SM6350 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM; UFS; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
OS/Software: Android 12.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/1.8, 27mm, 1/2.8", OIS, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 16mm, 1/4.0"; Telephoto: 8 MP, f/2.2, 54mm, 1/4.4", PDAF, 2x optical zoom.
Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide), 1/4.0".
Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@60fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging, Quick Charge, USB Power Delivery.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); NFC; 3.5mm jack.
Sony Xperia 10 IV Unboxing
The trend of eco-friendly minimalist packaging and short box materials starting in flagships has spread to midrange and even budget devices. The Xperia 10 IV comes in a slimline white cardboard box (it has no plastic, as we assure you) and no accessories inside - just the phone, that's it.
Last year we were pretty salty when we got the Xperia 10 III with a basic 7.5W adapter in the box when the phone could take a lot more power in USB power delivery. But this year - we're at a completely different level. Then again, if you don't get a charger bundle, you can't complain about the bundled charger slowing down, right?