We put the Sony Xperia 5 IV through our rigorous DXOMARK Battery test suite to measure its performance in autonomy, charging and efficiency. In these test results, we will break down how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Key specifications:
- Battery capacity: 5000 mAh
- 30W charger (not included)
- 6.1-inch, 1080 x 2520, 120 Hz, OLED display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm)
- Tested ROM / RAM combination: 128 GB + 8 GB
Scoring
Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.
Sony Xperia 5 IV
Key performances
These key points are derived from the lab measurements during testing and do not figure into the overall score. The lab measurements, however, are used for the overall score.
Pros
- Decent autonomy, with more than 2 days in moderate use
- Excellent autonomy on the go, especially when calling
- Excellent autonomy when testing each usage separately (video, music, call, gaming)
- Excellent power adapter efficiency
- Very low residual consumption of the charger
- Low discharge currents overall
Cons
- Inaccurate battery gauge
- Below-average autonomy in idle
- Slow charging speed
- Low autonomy recovered after a 5-minute charging
- Poor charge efficiency
The Sony Xperia 5 IV’s battery performance finds itself between the Xperia 1 IV and the Xperia 10 IV. Its global score almost reached the average of our database, showing a way better performance than the Xperia 1 IV across almost all use cases, but standing far behind the Xperia 10 IV and its outstanding autonomy.
Compared with devices from the same Ultra-premium price range ($800+), the Xperia 5 IV achieved a decent global score mainly because of its excellent autonomy and efficiency, but its charging performance was among the lowest. The 30W charger struggled to fill the large 5000 mAh battery. Its efficiency, however, was excellent, and its residual consumption, among the lowest in our database, was well-managed.
When testing each usage separately, the the Sony Xperia 5 IV’s autonomy was always above average, and its performance on the go was just the same, especially when calling. The discharge currents were low on average, showing that the device was well-managed.
Test Summary
About DXOMARK Battery tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone battery reviews, DXOMARK engineers perform a variety of objective tests over a week-long period both indoors and outdoors. (See our introductory and how we test articles for more details about our smartphone Battery protocol.)
The following section gathers key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyses performed in DXOMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations under the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
Battery | Charger | Wireless | Display | Processor | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sony Xperia 5 IV | 5000mAh | 30W (not included) |
15W | OLED 1080 x 2520 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
Sony Xperia 1 IV | 5000mAh | 30W (not included) |
15W | OLED 1644 x 3840 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
Apple iPhone 14 Pro | 3200mAh | 20W (not included) |
15W | OLED 1179 x 2556 |
Apple A16 Bionic |
Google Pixel 7 Pro | 5000mAh | 30W (not included) |
23W | OLED 1440 x 3120 |
Google Tensor G2 |
Autonomy
Sony Xperia 5 IV
182
Autonomy score is composed of three performance sub-scores: Home / Office, On the go, and Calibrated use cases. Each sub-score comprises the results of a comprehensive range of tests for measuring autonomy in all kinds of real-life scenarios.
Battery Life (moderate)
Battery Life (moderate)
Home/Office
Sony Xperia 5 IV
189
A robot housed in a Faraday cage performs a set of touch-based user actions during what we call our “typical usage scenario” (TUS) — making calls, video streaming, etc. — 4 hours of active use over the course of a 16-hour period, plus 8 hours of “sleep.” The robot repeats this set of actions every day until the device runs out of power.
On the go
Sony Xperia 5 IV
195
Using a smartphone on the go takes a toll on autonomy because of extra “hidden” demands, such as the continuous signaling associated with cellphone network selection, for example. DXOMARK Battery experts take the phone outdoors and perform a precisely defined set of activities while following the same three-hour travel itinerary (walking, taking the bus, the subway…) for each device
Calibrated
Sony Xperia 5 IV
198
For this series of tests, the smartphone returns to the Faraday cage and our robots repeatedly perform actions linked to one specific use case (such as gaming, video streaming, etc.) at a time. Starting from an 80% charge, all devices are tested until they have expended at least 5% of their battery power.
Charging
Sony Xperia 5 IV
181
Charging is fully part of the overall battery experience. In some situations where autonomy is at a minimum, knowing how fast you can charge becomes a concern. The DXOMARK Battery charging score is composed of two sub-scores, (1) Full charge and (2) Quick boost.
Full charge
Sony Xperia 5 IV
184
Full charge tests assess the reliability of the battery power gauge; measure how long and how much power the battery takes to charge from zero to 80% capacity, from 80 to 100% as shown by the UI, and until an actual full charge.
Charging Time 0-80%
Charging Time 0-80%
Quick boost
Sony Xperia 5 IV
182
With the phone at different charge levels (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%), Quick boost tests measure the amount of charge the battery receives after being plugged in for 5 minutes. The chart here compares the average autonomy gain from a quick 5-minute charge.
Efficiency
Sony Xperia 5 IV
154
The DXOMARK power efficiency score consists of two sub-scores, Charge up and Discharge rate, both of which combine data obtained during robot-based typical usage scenario, calibrated tests and charging evaluation, taking into consideration the device’s battery capacity. DXOMARK calculate the annual power consumption of the product, shown on below graph, which is representative of the overall efficiency during a charge and when in use.
Charge up
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205
The charge up sub-score is a combination of four factors: the overall efficiency of a full charge, related to how much energy you need to fill up the battery compared to the energy that the battery can provide; the efficiency of the travel adapter when it comes to transferring power from an outlet to your phone; the residual consumption when your phone is fully charged and still plugged into the charger; and the residual consumption of the charger itself, when the smartphone is disconnected from it. The chart here below shows the overall efficiency of a full charge in %.
Discharge
Sony Xperia 5 IV
194
The discharge subscore rates the speed of a battery’s discharge during a test, which is independent of the battery’s capacity. It is the ratio of a battery’s capacity divided by its autonomy. A small-capacity battery could have the same autonomy as a large-capacity battery, indicating that the device is well-optimized, with a low discharge rate.
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