Sony has generally struggled to sell smartphones in the North American market alongside bigger players like Samsung and Apple, to the point that it has more or less exited. Sony has always had a strong market in Japan, but even that has been changing recently, with Sony’s market share falling fast against competitors in its home market. That might be set to change with Sony’s next Android phone, the Xperia Pro C.
News about the upcoming device comes from leaker @InsiderSony on X (formerly Twitter), who provides a comprehensive look at the key specs. The display is a modest 6-inch 2K OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and anti-reflective coating. This is quite a bit smaller than most flagship Android phones these days, which are usually upward of 6.5 inches. This may make the Xperia Pro C a good option for those who like smaller, more compact phones, though it’s still not as small as Sony’s Xperia Compact lineup, which was as small as 4.6 inches.
NEXT GEN OF XPERIA PRO SERIES, LEAKED:
There seems to have been a new development on the Xperia Pro series line of smartphones. The phone which is speculated to be called as Xperia Pro C, a successor to the Pro-I, which may also adopt a compact form factor, a stark difference to… pic.twitter.com/3TccNfcVEc
— INSIDER SONY (@INSIDERSONY) May 21, 2024
In terms of other specs, you’re looking at what seems like a fairly capable high-end phone. There’s a Snadpragon 8 Gen 3 with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage as the base model, plus a 5,000mAh battery with 45-watt power delivery and fast charging.
But what really catches our eye is the camera array. You’re looking at a possible Omnivision 50-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization, 12-bit RAW, and 14-bit DCG RAW. It’s a 1-inch sensor, which is quite a bit larger than on most other smartphones, meaning it can take in more light for better shots in lowlight. This matches the Sony Xperia Pro-1 in terms of sensor size, while bumping the 12MP sensor to 50MP, which is a nice upgrade.
The other sensors consist of a 12MP one with autofocus and support for 4K/120 frames-per-second (fps) video recording and JPG/60 fps RAW. Lastly, there’s a third 12MP sensor with 4K/60 fps HDR, which may be the front-facing one for selfies. Both of the 12MP sensors seem to have support for Sony S-Cinetone and Creative Look. According to TechRadar, there’s likely to be a telephoto sensor as well, but we don’t have details about it yet.
Overall, the Sony Xperia Pro C very much seems like a phone designed for photographers, but it remains to be seen if it’s enough to save Sony’s market share. Availability and price still aren’t known, but we expect there to be a launch in Japan and Asia, and possibly some global availability in other markets outside of North America.
We’re anticipating a late 2024 release, so expect to hear more rumors about the Xperia Pro C in the coming months.
