Two of the closest device to offer DSLR like experience, at least that is the aim . In my previous article I shared the details of both these devices to understand further what they can offer. The aim of it is to see if the penta arrangement of the Nokia 9 Pureview would be useful to achieve its intended purpose, or was it all just a massive gimmick.
The Sony Xperia Pro-I, is a device that needs no introduction. At USD1800, it is easily among the most expensive device of its time. It has all the bells and whistles of a premium device and more. The highlight is of course the massive 1 inch CMOS sensor from the RX series of camera. A first for a mobile device. Again, I want to explore whether a larger sensor is the direction forward, its advantages and its limitations.
I have been using the Sony Xperia Pro-I for a few weeks now, and the experience is mixed. For the general consumers out there, it would be an overkill to have this device, and the makers have explicitly made that part clear. What I enjoyed from the device is its unique look and feel, the brilliant display and the hardware camera button. Some things that I was not expecting is that the SD888 tends to get warm, something I have not experience on a HMD device, and it feels a lot similar to my experience with the Lumia 1520 powered by the SD810 processor. The audio output has clarity but lacks volume. And the battery life is just about right of a day use and it can deplete even faster if you spend more time on it.
And then there is the camera… If you are used with Sony Alpha camera’s output, then you would be much familiar with the camera on Xperia Pro-I. Images are meant to appear more natural, less sharpening and the HDR is not aggressive. And when it comes to color, the Xperia Pro-I actually nails it with far more accurate reproduction than the Nokia 9 Pureview that always tend to have a much darker, contrasty output which is its signature.
Which is better? I leave that to you as the results are not as what I expected.
To answer if the Sony Xperia Pro-I is a better device, the short answer is yes. Should you get one? Maybe, especially if you are interested in more natural output and like to edit your images. But, is the primary camera far superior than Nokia 9 Pureview? It’s tricky to answer it. Maybe, the video above would help to decide.
I will be sharing more samples in my twitter, especially comparing it to the latest Pureview device, the Nokia X30 , so do follow me on twitter.https://twitter.com/theoriginal086
