Here, the first smartphone to earn the Pro name

Earning something is always subjective, but the Sony Xperia PRO-I seems to be only intended for people who want to do extremely professional things with their smartphone.

There is a new trend in the smartphone world: with almost every brand you can get a phone as a base model and as a ‘Pro’. That’s the short version of saying it’s the same generation phone with a lot more features and better specs than materials. Let’s face it: that Pro doesn’t really make sense. The undersigned has a ‘Pro’ phone, but I hardly do anything professional that requires a rock solid smartphone. Pro sounds nice, but it’s more of a name than a description.

‘Real’ Pro smartphone

Now, however, here is the Sony Xperia PRO-I and this is the first smartphone that we think the Pro name does refer to those who are interested in this smartphone. We must also add that this professional must be a photographer by profession. As a pro camera in a smartphone, however, the Xperia PRO-I seems to do some impressive things.

Cameras

Because those cameras are where the Sony Xperia PRO-I does impressive things. Sony has the advantage that they can borrow all kinds of technology from their (SLR) cameras. So they did. An Exmor RS sensor (type 1.0) for example, which should ensure good photos in low light. The Auto Focus should ensure that you always get something sharp in the picture, there are 315 detection points in the phone. The largest lens in the back is a ZEISS lens with a variable aperture (F2.0/F4.0).

There are also a few other things that make the Sony Xperia PRO-I a good movie smartphone. For example, you can film in the best mode in 4K at 120 frames per second. That smart AF technology is also incorporated into filming, so you will have few problems with an image that does not focus. Finally, regarding the cameras: there is a tripod which Sony calls ‘ideal for vlogging’. Even more ideal is that you can mount a screen on the back to see yourself while vlogging.

Telephone

Nice, but is it also useful as a ‘daily’ telephone? Probably. To support all these features, the Sony Xperia PRO-I has just what you expect from a Pro smartphone. How about a Snapdragon 888 with 12 GB of RAM and 5G support. Internal storage is 512 GB but you can add a micro SD card to expand it by another TB. Other specs also seem nice Pro: an OLED screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a battery with 4,500 mAh capacity, Gorilla Glass Victus and Dolby Atmos audio with, yes, a 3.5 mm “headphone jack”. This is intended to connect a microphone to the device yourself. Admittedly, the headphone jack has lost its primary purpose in the modern world because everyone is dropping it, but true pros want the choice.

Price

You may notice that this piece is written positively: the undersigned is positively surprised how many Pro features you can really put in a smartphone. There is one major drawback, however: the price. You also pay real Pro money for this Pro smartphone. The Sony Xperia PRO-I will soon be for sale for 1,799 euros. Well, if you’re really a Pro then that shouldn’t be a problem.