Sony on Tuesday joined the small group of OEMs offering smartphones with 1-inch camera sensors. Bolstered by this sensor, the company talks up the Xperia Pro-I‘s imaging credentials, its usefulness for vloggers, and its performance in low light. Although the hardware might be fresh, the marketing message is nothing we haven’t heard from smartphone companies before.
This got us thinking: do you really care about the camera sensor sizes on smartphones? Do you actively seek out smartphones with large camera sensors, or believe it’s just another part of the photography equation? We’re eager to hear your views, so be sure to vote in our poll below.
In theory, sensor size is beneficial for a host of reasons. A larger sensor means more light can be captured, giving smartphones more data to play with. Of course, this comes with the penalty of space. The Xperia Pro-I and other 1-inch camera phones before it from Sharp and Leica, have a tough time subtly integrating the primary camera within their phones’ bodies. Accommodating larger sensors also reduce the space available for other smartphone internals. After all, a smartphone with a 1-inch sensor remains a smartphone first.
See also: How to buy a phone with a great camera
Generally, larger sensors can result in better images, but this isn’t always the case. Google’s Pixels have demonstrated how software plays a vital role in photography, even with older sensors. Other factors, like aperture and lens quality, can also make or break camera performance, even with a larger sensor.
There are plenty of pros and cons, but we want to know from just how you rank image sensor size. Sound off in the comments below!
