Sony Xperia Pro-I takes lead in battle for smartphone camera supremacy with new camera-first 5G phone

Sony is ready to throw-down with a new camera-first 5G phone — the Xperia Pro-I — in the battle for smartphone camera supremacy. Less than 12-hours after the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro’s reviews started dropping online, and all the camera enthusiasts trying to determine whether the Pixel 6 Pro or the iPhone 13 Pro Max has the best smartphone camera, Sony wants to be in the mix with the Xperia Pro-I.

The “I” in the Xperia Pro-I stands for imaging, which pays homage to Sony’s popular line of Alpha mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras and professional video cameras, rather than point-and-shoot camera model names like the Sony RX100 VII (Mark 7). At least that’s what the Sony representatives who were briefing journalists ahead of this event told us. The star of the show is obviously this device’s camera technology, so it’s totally fair to think of the Xperia Pro-I as a camera that happens to come with a phone attached.

After all, it’s notable for using a similar 1.0-type Exmor RS image sensor with phase detection AF (autofocus) that powers the RX100 VII, the preferred point-and-shooter of vloggers and tourists. This large 1-inch camera sensor enables “outstanding low light performance, high dynamic range, and beautiful bokeh,” according to Sony. However, DPReview notes that while this 1-inch sensor is 20 megapixels in total, the Xperia Pro-I only makes use of part of the sensor, meaning it outputs a 12-megapixel image on this device

Main Image: Pesa Pixel.