Sony Xperia leaks galore: model canceling, flagship naming, fast charging, case leaking, Google Assistant button removing, and US$1,600 Xperia 1 IV pricing

A quite long list of Xperia-related leaks has emerged via several sources, which if anything does point to an imminent announcement for the latest flagship smartphone from the Sony stables. Worryingly for fans, there has been mention of the cancellation of one of the 2022 Xperia models. While there is no way this would be the Xperia 1 IV phone, it could be either the midrange Xperia 10 IV or the compact Xperia 5 IV - or perhaps the PRO model has seen its last days.

This actually ties in neatly with the second rumor in the headline: flagship naming. While the press has stuck with Xperia 1 IV for the 2022 Sony phone, it has been opined that a rebrand is incoming. The leaker Caybule has simply stated “not Xperia 1 IV”. The Z series of phones from Sony lasted three years (2013, 2014, 2015) as did the XZ range (2016, 2017, 2018) and, so far, the 1 range (2019, 2020, 2021). Could Sony be preparing for a three-year series refresh just to frustrate users a little more with a new convoluted naming scheme?

Sticking with the Xperia 1 IV name for now, it appears the phone will come with the 30 W fast charging that the Xperia 1 III supported, but it will still enjoy longer battery life (up to +30%) because of a larger cell capacity (5,000 mAh vs. 4,500) and other new features such as a low-power LTPO screen. Alleged protective cases for the Sony flagship have also surfaced on a Chinese wholesaler site – and there is no space for the maligned Google Assistant button.

Lastly, a different leaker has had another crack at the price tag for the Sony Xperia 1 IV (no source mentioned, so pinch of salt). There have already been some leaks about the potential price tags for China; however, this new rumor plumps for a straight range of US$1,400 to US$1,600 “depending on the region”. We already speculated that prices could be around US$1,500 with even potential for a top-end model nearing the somewhat ridiculous US$1,800 mark.

Buy the Sony Xperia 1 III on Amazon