Sony introduced its Sony Xperia 1 II, powered by CineAlta and Alpha 9 mirrorless technologies, on February 2020, and expanded the Xperia family last September, with the Xperia 5 II, featuring 4K HDR 120fps slow-motion movie recording as one of the highlights. Now it is time for something different, with the announcement of the Xperia PRO, a new professional 5G device that enables content creators to work faster and smarter than ever before.
Featuring the world’s first smartphone with dedicated HDMI connectivity, it supports 5G mmWave and 5G Sub-6 for high-speed data transfer and is engineered to optimize signal reception. These innovative features pave the way for the future of imaging and the content creation workflow. Sony says that the Xperia PRO features a dedicated Type D Micro HDMI input port. The “world’s first smartphone claim is based on information verified by Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX Service against the published connectivity specifications for over 18,400 smartphones, and is correct as of the 26th January 2021.
“We are committed to developing innovative tools for professional content creators,” said Neal Manowitz, deputy president of Imaging Products and Solutions Americas, Sony Electronics. “Our customers’ voice is paramount – we are always listening, exploring new methods to help them create and communicate in ways that were never before possible. Combining the speed of 5G and the connectivity of an HDMI input, Xperia PRO is designed to empower creators with real-time content sharing and distribution, opening up a new world of possibilities for professional workflow. Together, Alpha and Xperia bring the future of digital imaging, sharing imaging data and connecting people remotely in real time.”
The Xperia PRO makes it easy to capture and broadcast video in real-time… with your Alpha camera or any other HDMI input equipped camera. That’s one of the multiple assets of this new device, designed to enable creativity and speed for content creation and content distribution. Thanks to its dedicated HDMI input, it offers professionals who need a portable and easy to use solution ther means to broadcast over a 5G data link. Using compatible third-party live streaming applications, Xperia PRO can stream video content from a camera that is connected to the HDMI input to an RTMP server or directly to popular social media platforms.
The HDMI input also opens another option that many will want to explore: the Xperia PRO smartphone can be used as a high-quality 6.5-inch 4K OLED monitor through the preinstalled External Monitor host application software. The External Monitor feature features a screen lock function, screen brightness adjustment, zoom capabilities, adjustable grid lines and more.
A wired USB connection between the phone and camera enhances the speed and stability of still image file transfer, which is an important aspect for professional use. Connect your Alpha brand camera to the Xperia PRO mobile device through the USB connection and the images can be automatically transferred to an FTP server. With this type of fast and reliable transfer, and you can concentrate on capturing the best shots.
To guarantee that the user is always aware of the best signal, the Network Visualizer feature developed for Xperia PRO provides easy-to-understand visualization of the signal direction, communication method and communication speed of the device to help camera operators on location locate the best spot for live transmissions. This feature shows the current signal reception, indicates the direction of the 5G signal that is being received and provides communication throughput and histogram. A shortcut button is located on the side of the Xperia PRO, which can be assigned to launch a frequently used feature including Network Visualizer.
The Xperia PRO is also a powerful tool for photography and video content creation, when used as a standalone device. The new smartphone packs in all of the same industry-leading imaging technology as the Xperia 1 II flagship. Having a smartphone that can be an image capturing device and also work as an extension of your camera – as a monitor and broadcast device – makes the Xperia PRO an atractive solution.
Sony says that the with the new Xperia PRO smartphone, because it “is always with you, professionals and other content creators will never miss an opportunity to create high quality, professional-level content or share that content in real-time – even without a professional camera on hand.”
Because this new addition to the Xperia lineup was developed with Sony’s Alpha camera engineers, it integrates technology such as Real-time AF (autofocus) on both humans and animals. It also features an interface designed to meet the demands of professional photographers with a variety manual controls, the capability to shoot up to 20fps with 60 times per second autofocus/autoexposure calculations and RAW support.
Drawing on the expertise of Sony’s Digital Cinema Camera engineers, the Xperia PRO offers a range of tools to enhance filmmaking. Users can get creative with Look color management pre-sets, 21:9 movie recording, 4K HDR in 24, 30, 60 and 120fps slow-motion and Intelligent wind filter. The 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED display features a 21:9 CinemaWide aspect ratio and supports the BT.2020 color space.
With Creator mode “powered by CineAlta”, and a specially calibrated D65 white point, it references the color reproduction of Sony´s professional color monitors.
Xperia PRO features ZEISS optics calibrated specifically for Xperia with the ZEISS T* coating to reduce reflections. Xperia PRO also features a triple lens camera with a 16mm ultra wide-angle lens, 24mm lens wide-angle lens and 70mm telephoto lens for true creative freedom.
To make all the magic happen, the Xperia PRO is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G Mobile Platform and the Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF system, which empower the user to game, capture, cross-task and connect with staggering multi-gigabit 5G speeds and improved performance from a 25% faster CPU and GPU than on the previous Xperia model. To protect the complex system inside its body, the Xperia PRO combines IP65/68 rating water and dust resistance with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 on the front for protection, making it robust and durable, exactly what is needed for reliable performance.
Sony says that “with a long lasting 4.000mAh battery, the Xperia PRO gets the job done. It is compatible with the optional UCH32C Fast Charger to quickly top-up when the battery is running low. It also has two technologies to keep the battery healthy longer. Battery Care prevents the phone from overcharging, while Xperia Adaptive Charging monitors the phone as it charges to make sure the battery isn’t overworked.”
The new Xperia PRO 5G device will be available to purchase and ship to customers on January 26, 2021 and will be sold for approximately $2,499.99 USD. Customers can purchase Xperia PRO at a select group of Sony’s authorized dealers throughout North America.