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Lifestyle

Phone camera face-off: Sony XZ2 Premium vs Huawei P20 Pro – there’s one clear winner, depending on what you’re after

New Sony handset’s cameras have the highest light sensitivity of any smartphone – ISO 12,800. That pays dividends for lowlight video shooting, which is better than the Huawei, but the P20 Pro is still the still-photo king

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The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium (left) has dual cameras, while the Huawei P20 Pro has a three-camera set-up, including a telephoto lens. Photo: Ben Sin
Ben Sin

To say Sony smartphones haven’t been selling well lately is a major understatement.

In a development that would have been unfathomable even a decade ago, the Japanese electronics giant has completely lost this part of the gadget battle to not just fellow legacy brands like Apple and Samsung, but Chinese names that were barely on the international radar a few years ago.

But Sony is looking to bounce back with its 2018 flagship, the Xperia XZ2 Premium. It’s got the usual top-tier Android specs and a more modern design, but more importantly, a camera that has the highest video recording ISO sensitivity – ISO 12,800 – in a smartphone, which means it can capture more light than any other.

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How does it fare when pitted against the triple-lens Huawei P20 Pro, which everyone agrees shoots the best lowlight images of any smartphone?

Sony’s camera can reach an ISO of up to 12,800 in video shooting, better than any other smartphone. Photo: Ben Sin
Sony’s camera can reach an ISO of up to 12,800 in video shooting, better than any other smartphone. Photo: Ben Sin
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