Thought the Xperia 1 III was expensive? Xperia 1 IV could get a price hike

Sony’s Xperia 1 flagships offer some impressive features compared to other high-end phones, such as 4K OLED screens, an enthusiast camera focus, and a variety of multimedia features. All of these features usually come at a price though, and it seems like the rumored Xperia 1 IV won’t deliver any respite.

Tipster SnoopyTech claimed on Twitter that the Sony Xperia 1 IV — expected to launch on May 11 — will retail for €1,399 (~$1,472). This is a €100 increase over last year’s Xperia 1 III, which had a recommended price of €1,299 (~$1,367) in Europe.

We hope Sony brings enough improvements and additions to justify the apparent price increase. Between a bigger battery, improved low-light performance, faster charging, and an adaptive refresh rate, there are plenty of ways to improve on last year’s flagship.

The leaker also claimed that the Xperia 10 IV will have a €499 (~$525) price tag. The Xperia 10 III served up a Snapdragon 690 SoC, IP68 rating, 60Hz OLED screen, a 4,500mAh battery with 30W charging, and a flexible triple rear camera system. We’d therefore be content with horsepower and refresh rate improvements but a similar set of features otherwise.

SnoopyTech also asserted that there won’t be an Xperia 5 IV at the event. So those hoping for a more compact, sensibly priced Sony flagship might have to wait for the second half of the year.