Sony usually equips its most advanced cell phones with the best image sensors of its own production, and its current top of the line, the Xperia 1 IV, is no exception. According to the DxOMark evaluations published this Monday (20), there is still room for improvement in the photographic set of this model.
The site assigned 118 points to the Sony Xperia 1 IV, making the phone below average in DxOMark’s ranking of best photography phones. For comparison purposes, devices from previous generations scored higher in the same tests, such as the Galaxy S22 Ultra (135 points), iPhone 13 (125 points) and Google Pixel 6a (122 points).
It is worth remembering that several Sony sensors equip cell phones that scored above the Xperia 1 IV, so it is possible that its below average performance is due to the lack of software optimization. DxOMark only considers photos and videos processed by the system, and does not include testing with Sony RAW.
DxOMark evaluates that the Xperia 1 IV has adequate exposure and presents a good level of detail in most light conditions, in addition to ensuring good stabilization and texture rendering in videos. Scene depth estimation for portrait mode is highlighted, but only under environments with good natural lighting.
The cellphone’s downsides include its limited dynamic range, processing flaws, and underexposure issues in night scenes. Videos may show instability of exposure and white balance. One of the crucial areas that few cameras master is skin tone fidelity, and the Xperia 1 IV didn’t impress in that regard.
DxOMark compares images captured by the Xperia 1 IV with the Xperia 5 IV — a premium cell phone that, curiously, took one point more than its more expensive “brother” — and the Google Pixel 7, which shares 10th place with the Galaxy S23 Ultra boasting 140 points.
Some image characteristics are seen in both Sony phones, such as contrast issues, white balance instability and lost details. Look:
The Xperia 1 IV’s camera has a strong bias towards pink tones, but has a better exposure than the Pixel 7. Check it out below:
Skin tone fidelity is key for Google phones, so DxOMark uses a photograph captured by the Pixel 7 to show how the Xperia 1 IV can improve in this area.
See below for depth estimation issues and bokeh processing errors on the Xperia 1 IV’s 3D ToF sensor.
Ultimately, the Xperia 1 IV proved its superior ability to detect multiple faces in a scene, allowing both models in the photograph to remain in focus, regardless of lens distance.
The Xperia 1 IV may experience video exposure instability in different lighting conditions, including outdoors. See below the film samples captured by the lens of the Japanese top of the line.
- 6.5-inch OLED screen with 4K resolution, HDR and 120Hz refresh rate
- Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Platform
- 12 GB of RAM
- 256 or 512 GB of internal storage
- Expandable memory with microSD card
- 12 MP front camera
- Three rear cameras:
- 12MP main sensor (24mm, f/1.7,)
- 12 MP ultra wide angle sensor (16mm, f/2.2)
- 12MP telephoto sensor (85-125mm, f/2.3-f/2.8)
- 5G connection, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC and IP67 and IP68 certifications
- 5,000 mAh battery with 30W charging support
- android 12
- Dimensions: 165.1 x 71.1 x 7.6mm
- Weight: 187 grams
The Sony Xperia 1 IV is available from Carrefour for BRL 11,039.
