Check out the latest renders of the 5G Sony Xperia 1 IV flagship model

Late last month we showed you a render of the Sony 1 IV created by @OnLeaks and @GizNext. Today, we take a look at the latest renders of the phone created by LetsGoDigital and  Technizo Concept (Parvez Khan) using information already leaked or made public. Khan is also responsible for the video that accompanies this article.

Sony has been on the outside looking in at the smartphone industry leaders for years. Despite its expertise in building cameras and displays, Sony can not make any headway in the smartphone business although in fiscal 2020 its Mobile Communication division was in the black for the first time since fiscal 2017. The firm actually shipped fewer phones that year (2.9 million vs 3.2 million the year before) but benefited from aggressive cost cutting.

Sony's next flagship model is expected to be the Xperia 1 IV sporting a Gorilla Glass Victus protected 6.5-inch flat screen with a 4K resolution. The display will reportedly refresh 120 times per second and the 21:9 aspect ratio makes it perfect for viewing movies and other content being streamed from an app. Under the hood, we should find Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, the sequel to last year's Snapdragon 888 SoC.

The flagship could come with 12GB to 16GB of memory with 256GB/512GB of storage. Keeping the lights on will be a 5000mAh battery supporting a 45W fast charger.

The fingerprint scanner is integrated with the power button, and under the volume rocker along the right side of the device is a dedicated shutter button. The Google Assistant button is being removed from this year's model. The SIM card compartment is located on the bottom of the device next to the USB-C port and the second speaker. The front-facing stereo speakers support 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos, and there is a 3.5mm earphone jack!

The makeup of the rear camera array is in limbo right now. Last year Sony employed three 12MP camera sensors behind the Wide, Ultra-Wide, and Zoom lenses. The latter delivered 2.9x and 4.4x optical zoom.  One rumor calls for 50MP and 48MP Quad-Bayer camera sensors to be used on the Xperia 1 IV.

Another reason why Sony handsets have not been iPhone and Galaxy challengers is the price. An unlocked Xperia 1 III from last year cost over $1,300. The Xperia 1 IV will support 5G signals, come with Android 12 pre-installed, and will receive three Android updates matching Google's Pixel 6 series (but falling shy of the four Android updates that the Samsung Galaxy S22 series will get.

The Sony Xperia 1 IV is expected to be introduced in April or May possibly alongside the Xperia 5 IV. The latter will feature a Gorilla Glass Victus protected 6.1-inch display with the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus (built by TSMC instead of Samsung) under the hood. Since we might not see that chip roll off the assembly line until the second half of 2022, that is when the Xperia 5 IV might be ready to be released.

A post on Weibo from last month called for the device to have the same exact camera array like the one used on the Xperia 5 III. That means that we should see the main snapper feature a 12MP Sony IMX557 camera sensor, the ultra-wide camera driven by a 12MP Sony IMX363 sensor, and the telephoto lens equipped with a Sony IMX663 camera sensor (it will deliver 3x optical zoom).

Sony has had a remarkable consumer electronics business for decades and one gets the idea that perhaps the company is trying too hard when it comes to mobile devices. Check out the ad below if you want a nostalgic rush. It is a television commercial for the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini (before Sony parted ways with Ericsson) and it expresses the carefree happy image that Sony projected back in the day.