Sony is reportedly gearing up to launch a new camera-focused smartphone for professionals, set to be the technical successor of the 2021 Xperia PRO-I. Peculiarly, the leaked report comes only a week after two new Xperia models were officially unveiled that are slated to launch next month.
To the Camera Forefront Once More
Insider Sony opened the information bombshell yesterday with a sample shot of the product plus a list of specs. First off, the designated official name of the product seems to be the Xperia PRO-C. Its main camera setup is rumored to be a 1-inch 50MP unit with ZEISS optics, an f/1.8 aperture, a 20mm focal length, and optical image stabilization (OIS). It is also expected to support RAW 12-bit and 14-bit DCG RAW shooting and could be an OmniVision sensor.
The same subject clause also revealed two additional 12MP cameras. One is a secondary snapper with autofocus, supporting 4K recording at 120fps, 10-bit 420 S-LOG gamma curve, HLG recording, 60fps RAW recording, Sony S-Cine-tone, and Creative Look. The other is another 12MP 20mm lens with support for 4K 60fps HDR recording.
Other Innards
The leak also claimed that the Xperia PRO-C will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, coupled with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for the base variant. The screen is a more compact 6-inch OLED display, with a 2K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and an anti-reflection coating.
Battery specs detail a 5,000mAh battery, along with a revamped 45W PD fast charging solution.
The overall smaller form factor seems to be a move to appeal to users who prefer more pocket-friendly devices without sacrificing flagship features. Possibly yet another nod to the classic point-and-shoot camera that smartphones eventually superseded.
Comparison to Predecessor
As hinted by this article, the Xperia PRO-I was the direct predecessor of the PRO-C. It featured a larger 6.5-inch 4K HDR 120Hz OLED display, supported by a 1-inch Exmor RS sensor with a 12MP resolution 24mm lens with a dual aperture of f/2.0 and f/4.0, and ZEISS optics. Impressive for the time (and still is for practical use), but generally eclipsed by the rumored specs of the newer PRO-C.
The older PRO-I was also powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset. Still very usable in 2024, performing akin to an upper mid-range chipset. But if compared head-to-head to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it would be left in the dust at more than twice the synthetic benchmark difference.
The Xperia PRO-I also had a slightly smaller 4,500mAh capacity, along with “slower” 30W fast charging support.
Expected Release Timeline
Following the known timeline of previous Xperia PRO releases (typically by the tail end of year), the Xperia PRO-C is expected to be released sometime in Q4 2024. As such, it will arrive well after the upcoming launch of the Xperia 1 VI and Xperia 10 VI, which are scheduled for this coming June.
