Sony has just introduced the Sony Xperia Pro-I, the first phone outside Japan equipped with a 1.0-inch camera sensor with phase detection autofocus.
The new Xperia Pro is equipped with a 6.5-inch 4K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and an 8MP front camera. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset coupled with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of expandable storage via a microSD card. It also has a 4500mAh battery and comes with a 30W charger in the box.
The highlight of the device is the camera system. The aforementioned 1.0-inch sensor is a huge chunk of the Exmor RS sensor used in the RX100 VII compact camera. Because it is “optimized for a smartphone” not the entire sensor from the camera was used.
The sensor produces 12MP with a 2.4µm pixel pitch. This is 20% larger than the iPhone 13 Pro Max pixels and roughly the same size as the ones from the Galaxy S21 Ultra main camera after binning.
The Exmor RS sensor has a Zeiss-coated stabilized 24mm lens in front of it. The lens has a variable aperture that goes from f/2.0 to f/4.0.
Moreover, it features Real-time Eye autofocus in both photos and videos for humans and animals. It also has 315 phase-detect AF points across 90% of the frame.
Joining the main camera is a 12MP ultrawide snapper, 12MP 50mm 2x telephoto lens, and a 3D iTOF sensor. On the software side, the phone has a Bionz X image signal processor to handle video and photo processing, the same ISP found in the Xperia 1 III and 5 III.
To add to the camera experience, the device features two physical camera controls on the device. The first is a two-stage shutter key with a longer textured button. The second button is round and is mapped to the Videography Pro app. The app lets you adjust white balance, exposure, and focus. In addition, the app has VENICE cinema camera-inspired color modes and able to shoot in a cinema 21:9 ratio.
Speaking of video, the device is capable of shooting 4K video at up to 120fps for 5x slow motion.
If you’re a vlogger or maybe aim to be one, the company also offers a Vlog Monitor. It features a 3.5-inch 1280x720p monitor and attaches to the back of the phone so you can see yourself while filming with the rear camera.
The Sony Xperia Pro-I will be available in December in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Nordic countries. It is priced at EUR 1,799, while the Vlog Monitor will go for EUR 199.
Ram found his love and appreciation for writing in 2015 having started in the gaming and esports sphere for GG Network. He would then transition to focus more on the world of tech which has also began his journey into learning more about this world. That said though, he still has the mentality of "as long as it works" for his personal gadgets.
