Sony Xperia Pro-I vs Huawei P30 Pro: A Detailed Showdown

The Sony Xperia Pro-I and Huawei P30 Pro were both flagship contenders in their time, boasting impressive camera systems and premium features. But which one holds up best today? We're diving deep into a head-to-head comparison to help you decide which phone is right for you.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

The Huawei P30 Pro edges out the Xperia Pro-I thanks to its superior battery life and excellent sunlight display performance. While the Xperia Pro-I offers a more modern chipset and potentially better video capabilities, the P30 Pro's longevity and overall value make it a compelling choice.

PHONES
Phone Names Sony Xperia Pro-I Huawei P30 Pro
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 711, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6-
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat21 1400/200 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / HSPA / LTE
 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub61, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 66
Launch
Announced2021, October 262019, March 26. Released 2019, March 26
StatusAvailable. Released 2021, December 02Discontinued
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frameGlass front (Aluminosilicate glass), glass back (Aluminosilicate glass), aluminum frame
Dimensions166 x 72 x 8.9 mm (6.54 x 2.83 x 0.35 in)158 x 73.4 x 8.4 mm (6.22 x 2.89 x 0.33 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight211 g (7.44 oz)192 g (6.77 oz)
 IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Built-in strap-holeIP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m for 30 min)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass Victus-
Resolution1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density)1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~398 ppi density)
Size6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~82.5% screen-to-body ratio)6.47 inches, 102.8 cm2 (~88.6% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020OLED, HDR10
 Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases-
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)Octa-core (2x2.6 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x1.92 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55)
ChipsetQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm)Kirin 980 (7 nm)
GPUAdreno 660Mali-G76 MP10
OSAndroid 11, upgradable to Android 13Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10, EMUI 10
Memory
Card slotmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot)
Internal512GB 12GB RAM128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM
 UFS 3.XUFS 2.1
Main Camera
FeaturesZeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, 12-bit RAW, HDR, eye trackingLeica optics, color spectrum sensor, dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR
Single8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4", 1.12µm-
Triple12 MP, f/2.0-4.0, 24mm (wide), 1.0"-type, 2.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS (315 PDAF points, 90% frame coverage) 12 MP, f/2.4, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.9", PDAF, 2x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth)40 MP, f/1.6, 27mm (wide), 1/1.7", PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 20 MP, f/2.2, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.7", PDAF TOF 3D, (depth)
Video4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm32 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm
Video1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack YesNo
35mm jackYesNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes
 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system32-bit/384kHz audio
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE
Infrared port-Yes
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSSGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5)
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG, DisplayPortUSB Type-C 3.1
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNAWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compassFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
 Native Sony Alpha camera support-
Battery
Charging30W wired, PD, 50% in 30 min40W wired, 70% in 30 min 15W wireless 2.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 4500 mAhLi-Po 4200 mAh, non-removable
Misc
ColorsFrosted BlackAurora, Amber Sunrise, Breathing Crystal, Black, Pearl White, Misty Lavender, Mystic Blue
ModelsXQ-BE62, XQBE62-B, XQ-BE62-B, XQ-BE62/B, XQ-BE42, XQ-BE42-B, XQ-BE42/B, XQ-BE72, XQ-BE52VOG-L29, VOG-L09, VOG-AL00, VOG-TL00, VOG-L04, VOG-AL10, HW-02L
PriceAbout 930 EURAbout 670 EUR
Tests
Audio quality- Noise -90.5dB / Crosstalk -93.0dB
Battery life Endurance rating 87h Endurance rating 100h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display- Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 5.119 (sunlight)
Loudspeaker -28.6 LUFS (Average) -28.1 LUFS (Average)
Performance AnTuTu: 725839 (v9) GeekBench: 3540 (v5.1) GFXBench: 51fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 316156 (v7), 401208 (v8) GeekBench: 10014 (v4.4), 2521 (v5.1) GFXBench: 29fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Sony Xperia Pro-I

  • Modern Snapdragon 888 chipset
  • Excellent video recording capabilities
  • External monitor connectivity
  • High peak brightness display

  • Shorter battery life
  • Higher price (originally)
  • Less impressive zoom compared to P30 Pro

Huawei P30 Pro

  • Exceptional battery life
  • Outstanding sunlight display readability
  • Versatile triple-lens camera system with excellent zoom
  • Wireless and reverse wireless charging

  • Older Kirin 980 chipset
  • Software support concerns (Huawei)
  • Less focus on professional video features

Display Comparison

Both phones feature excellent displays, but with different strengths. The Xperia Pro-I boasts a measured peak brightness of 644 nits, offering good visibility in most conditions. The P30 Pro, while lacking specific brightness figures, excels in sunlight readability with a reported 5.119 rating and an 'infinite' contrast ratio (nominal), suggesting deep blacks and vibrant colors. The P30 Pro's display is arguably more visually striking.

Camera Comparison

This is where things get interesting. The Xperia Pro-I's primary focus is professional video recording, with features like external monitor connectivity and 4K 120fps recording. The P30 Pro, however, is renowned for its versatile triple-lens camera system, particularly its groundbreaking periscope zoom lens. Both offer excellent photo quality, but the P30 Pro's zoom capabilities are unmatched, while the Xperia Pro-I shines in video.

Performance

The Xperia Pro-I's Snapdragon 888 5G provides a noticeable performance advantage over the P30 Pro's Kirin 980. While the Kirin 980 was a strong performer in its day, the 888 offers faster processing speeds and better graphics capabilities, making the Xperia Pro-I smoother for demanding tasks and gaming. However, real-world usage differences might be subtle for average users.

Battery Life

The Huawei P30 Pro takes a clear victory in battery life, boasting an endurance rating of 100 hours compared to the Xperia Pro-I's 87 hours. This translates to significantly longer usage times between charges, a major advantage for many users. The P30 Pro also offers wireless and reverse wireless charging, adding to its convenience.

Buying Guide

The Sony Xperia Pro-I is ideal for professional photographers and videographers who prioritize a high-end camera system and external monitor connectivity. The Huawei P30 Pro is a great option for users seeking exceptional battery life, a stunning display, and a versatile camera at a more accessible price point (especially now that it's older).

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Is the Sony Xperia Pro-I still worth buying?
If you're a professional videographer needing external monitor connectivity and high-end video features, it can still be a viable option. Otherwise, newer phones offer better value.
❓ Does the Huawei P30 Pro still receive software updates?
Huawei's software support has been limited due to trade restrictions. While the phone still functions, expect fewer updates and potential app compatibility issues.