Sony Xperia Pro-I review: the camera that makes a smartphone?

Many builders would have thrown in the towel, but not the “Sonī kabushiki gaisha”. The Japanese firm, which is a resistant in the smartphone sector, continues to offer high-end devices a little apart. If we are now familiar with the 21:9 format with an almost “too much” screen (it is once again a 4K panel), Sony pushes its logic even further with this Pro-I since the latter embeds a main photo sensor of one inch of diagonal supposed to revolutionize the photo on mobile. Like the Xperia 1 III that we tested last year, we are dealing here with a niche smartphone and even more since with a price of 1799 €, we are clearly in a “Premium+” range.

A little heavy (211 g) with a nice matte back, the Pro-I has a microSD port (4K at 120 fps, it weighs after a while), a very rare jack in this segment (to add an external microphone of course) and a physical side shutter with a “half-stroke” to focus, like on cameras. Certified IP68, the device also has a fixing to add a wrist strap. On the sound side, it’s the same observation as the Xperia 1 III: two powerful stereo speakers that are really fun during movie sessions under the duvet.

A screen and performance to match

Let’s talk about the screen for a moment. Protected with Gorilla Glass Victus technology, this beautiful 16.5 cm diagonal AMOLED panel displays a definition of 3840 x 1644 pixels. And yes, it’s 4K! A little too much for the size of the display, some would say. On the other hand, the device is factory set to 60 Hz which we will hasten to switch to 120 Hz. It flatters the retina, but we will see that the autonomy takes a little hit anyway since the refreshment is invariable . The screen is bright and well used by photo and video applications since we will be able to shoot and have “pro” settings on the right side. Sony knows its stuff.

No surprises when it comes to performance. Sony opted for the top of the basket: a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 coupled with 12 GB of RAM. Ideal for all uses, including games. In intensive use, we feel a slight heating, but very present. Nothing very serious, because the temperature goes down quite quickly.

Not intended for the general public

Photo and video applications full of settings, very complete and not very intuitive, Sony has accustomed us to them with the Xperia 1 III or 1 II. Here the delirium is pushed even further with a special 1 inch diagonal CMOS sensor: the same that equips the Sony RX100 VII, a compact that was acclaimed in the press. Remember that “normal” smartphones rarely offer a diagonal beyond 1/2 inch. This is also a point on which manufacturers communicate little. What does it bring? For the same number of pixels, the image quality is better with a larger sensor. A one-inch sensor is therefore a revolution in the world of smartphones except that here, its use is limited since the Pro-I uses the shots in 12 megapixels and not in the native resolution of 20 MP specific to the RX100 VII. So is this a sales argument or a real breakthrough? A bit of both.

Very advanced settings…

Of course Sony has made a fuss of it with this sensor, but we must recognize that the results are there. As we noted for the Xperia 1 III, the shots are of high quality with a very faithful rendering and absolutely not processed in software. Do not expect to take a photo in 3 seconds as you would with a Xiaomi 12, a Galaxy S22 or a Pixel 6. For optimal rendering, you will have to tweak the settings of the Photo Pro app. A delight for photographers who will quickly get their bearings (shutter priority, aperture priority, full manual mode, ISO from 100 to 12800, acquisition mode selection, exposure compensation, etc.), but a way of the cross for the neophyte. Admittedly, there is a Basic mode which allows you to take your mind less, but it will not turn your Pro-I into a device for an Instagrammer: the detection of scenes is a bit laborious and you will not have more processing. image to the program, or even “Night” mode. A shame for Natasha the influencer who just wants to take her Mojito in the light of the moon (how stupid this Natasha is).

A high price though

As for quality, we had the chance to test this device alongside the OnePlus 10 Pro and the Galaxy S22. Even if the Pro-I comes out a winner (look at the shots on a large screen to convince yourself of this), the price difference is such that it will be very difficult to recommend Sony’s device. This is clearly a niche camera, for photographers who want to travel light. And even in this case, the “normal” smartphone + Sony RX100 VII configuration seems to be more appropriate.

In addition to its champion main sensor, the Sony Pro-I has a 12 MP ultra-wide-angle (16 mm – f2/2) which stands out, it must be said. To this the device also adds a 12 MP telephoto lens (50 mm – f / 2.4) which is also worth its weight in peanuts with beautiful colors, beautiful sharpness and sharp contours, even when the light is lacking. These two secondary sensors do their respective jobs very well. At this price, we would have liked a slightly beefier optical zoom than a x2, but hey…

Let’s move on to the 8MP sensor intended for the selfie which does not stand out from the competition when talking about video. No useless 8K here, but a magnificent 4K mode at 120 fps (Full HD at 240 fps max) with stabilization that holds up well. As for the photo part, Sony offers an application intended for videographers which integrates tons of options both in terms of image and sound. It is a very good device for vlogging.

Too fair autonomy

The Xperia Pro-I consumes quite a bit. The fault of the SoC, the 4K screen which does not offer adaptive scanning, but also because we use this smartphone a lot to play games and test its many creative features. By avoiding taking it out of your pocket every 5 minutes to film or photograph, it can last the day. You will therefore have to be careful. You can also switch it to 60 Hz if you are not playing for example. It’s a bit of a shame for sure, but what’s even more so is the lack of fast charging. The Pro-I comes with a 30 W block: a scandal when you know that the first prices from Xiaomi offer 33 W and that 60 W has become the standard in this segment. Allow 1h40 to fill the 4500 mAh battery. The Xiaomi 12 Pro with its 120 W charge – 2 x 60 W on two batteries – does almost 5 times better (22 minutes to recharge 4600 mAh). On April 9, 2022, we were surprised to upgrade to Android 12 on this model. One would have hoped that this update would change the situation in terms of autonomy… but no.

Our Verdict:

The Sony Xperia Pro-I is a smartphone aimed at photographers and videographers attached to settings. Quite the opposite of the “casual” use of a Pixel 6 for example. The problem is that its price may put off more than one, especially since it is not 2 divisions above in this area either. The other problem is its autonomy. With a screen set to 120 Hz, a top-of-the-range Snapdragon and the “photo / video” use intended for it, you will have to closely examine your battery gauge so as not to end up in a carafe at the end of the day. Remains a successful smartphone aesthetically and a 4K screen very pleasing to the eye…

Shooting tests