Sony announces the Xperia PRO-I smartphone: 1.0-type sensor, 24mm lens, PDAF, 4K/120p and more

Sony has announced a new smartphone that aims to redefine mobile photography. The Xperia PRO-I smartphone is the world's first to include a 1.0-type image sensor with phase-detection autofocus. We also think it's one of the first of its kind to be available in North America with a 1.0-type sensor. However, there are 1.0-type smartphones available in some Asian markets, and the Panasonic CM1, for example, did make its way to US shores back in 2014. However, those smartphones lack on-sensor PDAF.

'We remain committed to building tools that empower creators to capture, create, and share like they've never been able to before,' said Yang Cheng, Vice President, Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics Inc. 'The capabilities of the Xperia PRO-I are unlike that of any smartphone that has ever been brought to market. This phone combines the power of the 1.0-type image sensor found in our RX100 VII compact camera, the speed of our fast Alpha interchangeable lens cameras that is further enhanced by Xperia's high-speed processing, and a similar video shooting experience as our Professional Video Line. All in a device that slides easily into your pocket!' She continued: 'We carefully chose this name to include the 'I,' which stands for 'imaging' and accurately represents Sony's efforts to completely redefine the standards of imaging performance across our entire product lineup.'

The Xperia PRO-I includes the same 1.0-type Exmor RS image sensor that's featured in the latest Sony RX100 VII premium compact camera. The image sensor promises outstanding low light image quality, high dynamic range and pleasing bokeh. The backside-illuminated, stacked image sensor is paired with a Bionz X imaging processor for mobile and a front-end LSI to deliver low-light images with reduced noise.

While the image sensor has 20.1 effective megapixels when used in the RX100 VII camera, given the optical constraints of a smartphone, the Xperia PRO-I captures 12MP images. Despite featuring a crop, the smartphone can still take advantage of the large sensor in terms of low-light performance. The sensor has 315 phase-detection autofocus points that cover 90% of the frame. The phone includes Real-time Eye AF for human and animal subjects, plus Real-time tracking. The phone can shoot full-size 12-bit RAW files at 20 frames per second with full AF/AE.

The primary lens is an interesting design. It is a 24mm-equivalent lens with Zeiss Tessar optics with T* anti-reflective coating. It includes glass optics, which is unusual for a smartphone, and has an aspherical element. Sony's learned a lot designing G Master lenses for its E-mount system over the last few years, and some of those lessons have been applied to the new Xperia PRO-I. The lens has a dual-aperture design, allowing users to swap between f/2.0 and f/4.0 with physical circular aperture diaphragms.

Alongside the primary camera with the 24mm-equivalent lens, there are also 16mm-equiv. and 50mm-equiv. lenses paired with smaller image sensors. The 16mm and 50mm cameras capture 12MP images, albeit with reduced image quality.

The Xperia PRO-I includes numerous automatic and manual shooting modes. You can use the included Photography Pro application to adjust camera settings and even manually focus. The smartphone has a dedicated shutter release on the side which offers half-press for focus and full-press for image capture functionality, like on a dedicated camera.

The phone is packed with impressive video features and specs, as well, including 4K video at up to 120 frames per second. Unlike some other smartphones that record 4K/120p video, the Xperia PRO-I gives users full editing access to all 120 frames, too, allowing users to display the content at the native frame rate or slow it down to any framerate, including 24fps for 5x slow-motion. This means you can playback 4K/120p video at 120 frames per second with real-time audio, if you'd like, which is a standout feature for a smatphone. For recording steady video, the Xperia PRO-I includes Optical SteadyShot with FlawlessEye technology. Considering autofocus, it's the first Xperia smartphone to include Eye AF technology and Object Tracking AF during video recording.

Audio matters too, of course, and the Xperia PRO-I has a built-in monoaural mic next to the main camera for recording speech and includes a pair of stereo mics elsewhere on the device.

To make video recording and content creation easier, Sony has added a new Videography Pro feature to make recording and editing video easier and more intuitive. The phone includes Cinematography Pro for more serious and advanced video work.

Considering the overall device itself, the phone has a 6.5" 4K HDR OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone has Dolby Atmos audio compatibility and can playback high-resolution audio formats. The phone has Game Enhancer and a Snapdragon 888 5G mobile platform. The phone has 512GB of internal storage and has 12GB of RAM. It also supports micro SDXC media up to 1TB.

In terms of physical design, the phone is 166mm (6.5") tall, 72mm (2.8") wide and is about 8.9mm thick, which is quite thin. The phone has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, which is the toughest Gorilla Glass to date. The phone has IP65/68 water and dust resistance. Inside the phone is a 4,500mAh battery that can charge up to 50% in just 30 minutes with the included 30W charger.

Sony offers many accessories for the Xperia PRO-I, including a new leather case ($90) and a new Vlog Monitor ($200). There's also a Bluetooth shooting grip available.

The Sony Xperia PRO-I will be available in one color, frosted black, and preorders begin on October 28. The phone will be available from Sony authorized dealers for $1,800. For a limited time, customers can save $50 by bundling the new smartphone with the Vlog Monitor or Bluetooth Shooting Grip or buy both accessories with the phone and save $100.