Xperia Pro-I now official as Sony leans fully into its Alpha camera expertise to create a beast of smartphone camera system

The Xperia Pro-I is official and it is every bit the camera beast we expected following the huge pre-launch launch leak less than 24 hours ago. As far as the smartphone side of things goes, the Pro-I is built on the strong foundation laid by Sony’s 2021 flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 III. But it’s new main camera system is nothing like Sony has ever attempted before on a smartphone.

At the heart of the main camera system on the Xperia Pro-I is a massive 1-inch Exmor RS sensor with 20.1 MP lifted from its class-leading compact RX100 VII standalone camera. This features huge 2.4µm-sized pixels that allow it to capture much more light. It also gives it ground-breaking capabilities for a smartphone including the ability to shoot 12-bit RAW files and native 4K video at up to 120 fps. Amazingly, its auto-focus features 315 detection points that cover 90 percent of the frame, which should yield some ultra-sharp images.

As you might imagine, this requires much more image signal processing power than Sony could yield from the Snapdragon 888. Consequently, the company has packed in one of its BIONZ X imaging processors. This endows it with the ability to shoot at up to 20 fps with both the auto-focus and auto-exposure activated. This is matched with Sony’s new 24 mm lens equipped with a variable aperture of f/2.0 and f/4.0. Sitting above it on the rear camera array is a 16 mm ultra-wide camera and below it is a 50 mm telephoto lens -- not the world’s first variable telephoto lens on a phone seen on the Xperia 1 III, which is a minor shame.

Everything else about the Xperia Pro-I is as you would expect of the Xperia 1 III in terms of specifications. Of course, the Xperia Pro-I also picks up a number of accessories that help to turn the device into a vloggers dream. As you would expect, the Sony Xperia Pro-1 is not going to be cheap when pre-orders go live on October 28 with availability beginning in December. It will be priced at US$1,800, but for people who might have also been thinking of picking up a Sony RX100 VII, the Xperia Pro-I might give them pause.

Hit up the link below for the full details of the new Sony Xperia Pro-I along with its vlogging accessories and capabilities. The announcement video is also embedded below.

Buy the Sony Xperia 1 III from Amazon for US$1,298.