Sony Xperia Pro-I launched with 1-inch camera sensor, 4K 120Hz OLED display, Snapdragon 888 SoC

Sony just dropped a new camera-centric Xperia smartphone in Japan. The Sony Xperia Pro-I is the first smartphone to feature a 1-inch camera sensor with PDAF outside Japan. The Xperia Pro-I is the flagship handset with a camera that Sony claims is the best-in-its-class.

The Sony Xperia Pro-I’s price is set at euro 1,799 (around Rs 1,56,650) in Europe. The handset goes on sale in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries in December.

The Sony Xperia Pro-I is powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC, paired with 12GB of RAM. The phone comes with 512GB of internal storage and is expandable through a microSD card. The Xperia Pro-I packs a 4,500 mAh battery with 30W fast-charging support. The handset also features an IPX8 rating for dust and water resistance.

The phone also sports a 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED display with a 21:9 aspect ratio. The screen supports a 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz touch sampling rate.

The phone's built-in stereo speakers support Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio. The Xperia PRO-I supports high-resolution audio and high-resolution audio wireless via LDAC.

For optics, the Xperia Pro-I features a 1.0-inch sensor that is taken from Sony’s RX100 VII compact camera. Sony, however, says that it has been optimised for a smartphone.

The sensor is much larger than on standard smartphones. The main sensor on the Pro-I has 2.4µm-sized pixels, which is about 20 percent larger than the iPhone 13 Pro Max' pixels.

The Exmor RS main sensor has a 12 MP resolution and a Zeiss-coated, stabilised 24mm lens with a variable aperture that goes from f/2.0 to f/4.0. Sitting alongside the main camera are two more 12 MP cameras, including an ultrawide lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a telephoto shooter with an f/2.4 aperture.  You also get a 3D ToF sensor. Lastly, there's an 8 MP selfie camera on the front.

Sony uses the Bionz X image signal processor to handle video and photo processing. The phone also comes with two physical camera controls that includes a two-stage shutter key and a circular shortcut button that is mapped to the Videography Pro app. The Xperia Pro-I can record video in 4K resolution at up to 120fps for 5x slow motion.

Sony also announced a Vlog Monitor, which costs euro 199 and needs a back cover attachment for another euro 89.99. The Vlog Monitor is designed for vloggers and is a 3.5-inch HD monitoring accessory that can be attached to the back of the Xperia Pro-I.