Sony Xperia 5 IV is a high-end mid-size phone that was engineered for multimedia creativity and a balanced user experience. The phone presents a compact alternative to Sony’s own Xperia 1 series but keeps its professional credentials. This phone and size choice are hard to make since vast screens are currently the standard, but, in practice, holding and using this phone is a treat from the first second.

Its 6.1-inch screen with FullHD + OLED technology in the 21:9 aspect ratio is standard for movies and apps, but the 1080 x 2520 resolution is a step-down from the Xperia 1 series. Still, Sony’s Bravia HDR remastering features sharp and vivid colors, and 120Hz should be good enough for average users who have no adaptive refresh rate to save battery. The Sony Xperia 5 IV has no stutters whatsoever, a recent Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 handles all apps perfectly, and 8GB RAM is enough for multitasking, but users might experience a minor lag when switching between resource-heavy applications. The 5000mAh battery offers a full day of screen time and gaming and loses charge. With 30W charging, you can restore 50% battery in 30 minutes, but 15W wireless charging is too much of a letdown compared to competing models.

Sony’s camera system still feels like a creative toolkit. The versatile triple 12MP setup—the wide main lens, an ultra-wide shooter, and a telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom—is absolutely brilliant. Low-light photos are weak next to what you would see from larger sensor competition, but the Photography Pro app has manual controls for shutter speed, ISO and focus if you are an enthusiast. Videographers, meanwhile, benefit from 4K HDR 120fps recording and real-time eye tracking, although stabilization in handheld footage could be smoother.

The Xperia 5 IV also excels at audio. Front-firing stereo speakers result in clear and balanced tune, and the 3.5mm headphone jack is on board for your high-res audio play. A thin bezel surrounds the speaker and has chamfered edges to facilitate better ergonomic dexterity and a richer listening expertise. It's rated IP68 for durability from dust and water, and its smooth frosted glass back doesn't hold fingerprints as well as glossy finishes do.

But, the phone does have its frustrations. The software is clean, but not as AI-smoothed as that from competitors like Samsung or Google, meaning you have to do a bit of manual tweaking in order for it to work best. The ultrasonic underdisplay fingerprint scanner cuts the odd time is somewhat picky and the absence of microSD slot does not allow much expansion either.

Simply put, the Sony Xperia 5 IV is a niche gem. It is designed for creatives who want hands-on control of their media, users who want portability without sacrificing power, and audiophiles who don’t want to compromise quality. It is not necessarily the best at any one thing, but its well-judged fusion of performance, portability and pro-grade features could well become the laptop of choice for those who prefer it to have plenty of meat on its bones.