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Sony Xperia 1 IV vs Sony Xperia 1 III: enthusiast-friendly outliers battle it out

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Sony’s two most recent flagship phones are like no others, but are they too similar to one another?
The Sony Xperia 1 IV is out now in the UK and Europe, and will be coming soon to the US. It’s another expensive but lavishly equipped flagship phone aimed at photography, cinema and music enthusiasts. But how does it compare to its immediate predecessor, the Sony Xperia 1 III? From what we can tell at this early stage, they look the same, cost a similar amount of money, and perform most of the same tasks as well as one another, too. So is the Xperia 1 IV a worthwhile upgrade? Here’s how the two phones stack up. The Sony Xperia 1 IV arrived in UK and European shops on June 16, and won’t be available in the US until September 1. Americans will receive a model with 512GB of storage, which will cost $1,599, while the UK and Europe will get a 256GB model for £1,299/€1,399. Neither phone is available in Australia. The Sony Xperia 1 III landed in US and UK shops on August 19 at a price of $1,299.99/£1,199 for the sole 256GB model that was available in those territories. Officially, it continues to retail for that amount over on the Sony website, but you may find it cheaper if you shop around. These are two expensive phones, then, but the older Xperia 1 III is the cheaper of the two. Sony hasn’t changed things up at all from a design perspective. The Sony Xperia 1 IV looks extremely similar to the Sony Xperia 1 III that came before it, which was in turn much like the Xperia 1 II. Viewed outside of the Sony stable, though, and both phones still look fresh. The choice of completely flat, symmetrical surfaces is starting to creep back into fashion courtesy of Apple, but Sony has been rocking that look for years. The long, thin 21:9 aspect ratio goes against the grain, with extended forehead and chin bezels only accentuating the gaunt look of both devices. Those bezels enable the selfie cameras to be housed away from the displays, while also playing host to front-firing stereo speakers – both of which support the devices’ cinephile credentials. Note, however, that the Xperia 1 IV’s speakers have been redesigned for more bass output. In terms of dimensions, both the Sony Xperia 1 IV and the Xperia 1 III measure 165 x 71 x 8.2mm, and the newer phone weighs just a single gram more at 185g. They’re both quite compact as modern flagship phones go. The rear of both phones have that muted, professional matte look, while those vertical lozenge-shaped camera modules aren’t particularly showy or distinct from one another. An IP65/IP68 rating in each case goes above and beyond any other flagship phone on the market, too. Both Sony phones are notable for their signature physical camera shutter buttons, as well as for their high quality 3.5mm headphone jacks. Photographers and audiophiles take note. One slight difference is that the Xperia I IV omits the dedicated Google Assistant button that came with the Xperia 1 III.

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