A high-end camera behemoth marketed towards professional photographers

Despite making camera sensors for almost all major smartphones out there, Sony’s Xperia phones have always lagged in the imaging department. They also failed to appeal to customers despite packing impressive specs. The company took a different approach to smartphones with its $2,500 Xperia PRO earlier this year, marketing it as an accessory for photographers and videographers. Nine months later, Sony is again trying something different with the Xperia PRO-I, which packs a massive 1-inch camera sensor and an f2-f/4 variable aperture lens in a handy package.

While the Xperia PRO-I is not the first smartphone to launch with a 1-inch camera sensor or a variable aperture lens, it is the first to pack both. Sony uses a customized version of the RX100 VII’s 1-inch sensor that can output 12MP photos with a 2.4µm pixel pitch. A thin Zeiss glass lens sits in front of the camera to deliver high optical performance. The phone combines phase-detect autofocus with real-time eye autofocus that works on both humans and animals. It also offers high-speed continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking at 20fps.

For selfies, there’s an 8MP f/2.0 shooter on the front. The video recording capabilities of the Xperia PRO-I are equally impressive, as it can record 4K videos at 120fps.

Apart from the 1-inch 12MP sensor, the Xperia PRO-I packs a 16mm f/2.2 12MP ultra-wide and a 50mm f/2.4 12MP 2x telephoto sensor. For the best possible camera experience, the Xperia PRO-I also has a two-stage shutter key. This is joined by a circular shortcut button that opens the Videography Pro app that lets you control the white balance, exposure, and focus.

Other specs of the Xperia PRO-I are impressive, as well. It features a 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate. There’s a Snapdragon 888 chip ticking inside the phone along with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage, which can be further expanded using a microSD card. A 4,500mAh battery powers the phone with 30W fast charging support. Sony has even included a 3.5mm audio jack, stereo speakers, and Dolby Atmos support. All this is packed inside an 8.9mm-thick IP68 certified body that weighs 211g.

Sony will also sell a Vlog monitor accessory for the Xperia PRO-I featuring a 3.5-inch 720p monitor that attaches to the phone’s rear and lets you record yourself using the 1-inch camera.

The Xperia PRO-I will first go on sale in Japan, followed by the UK, France, Germany, and the Netherlands in December. In the US, the phone will retail for $1,799. While super-expensive, the Xperia PRO-I at least has the specs to match, unlike its $2,500 predecessor.

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