Photo credit: www.gsmarena.com
Xiaomi Unveils Innovative Cameraphone Concept at MWC 2024
This year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona featured an intriguing new cameraphone concept by Xiaomi, which distinguishes itself from earlier attempts by other brands. Unlike Sony’s approach, which utilized an external lens controlled through its Xperia smartphones, Xiaomi’s strategy emphasizes a different technological integration.
The standout feature of Xiaomi’s concept is its reliance on the smartphone’s image signal processor (ISP) for post-processing. This innovative design allows for rapid connection between the smartphone and the lens via Xiaomi’s proprietary LaserLink technology, achieving a remarkable data transfer speed of 10 Gbps.
The lens component attaches to a specially modified Xiaomi 15 smartphone using Qi2 magnets, akin to the MagSafe technology found in iPhones. However, users may find it challenging to attach the lens correctly, as it requires precise alignment with two pins on the back of the device. A subtle “snap” indicates a successful connection, but users are encouraged to check the positioning closely, aided by an icon displayed on the camera’s viewfinder that confirms attachment.
While the Xiaomi 15 is designed to be sleek and compact, the addition of the 100-gram external lens creates a slightly cumbersome experience, making it a less ergonomically friendly option, especially when considering cases that cannot be used with this setup.
Despite these design challenges, overall functionality remains impressive, providing a near-concept user experience without noticeable lag. Transitioning between the modular lens and the phone’s other cameras is fluid. However, it’s worth noting that the substantial lens protrudes significantly, which can interfere with the ultrawide camera’s field of view, potentially resulting in unintended obstructions in photos.
The lens operates on power drawn from the smartphone only during its active use, turning off automatically when switching to other camera options. A minor downside is the activation delay, taking one to two seconds to power on, which could hinder capturing spontaneous moments.
In terms of specifications, the lens packs a noteworthy 100MP Light Fusion X Micro Four Thirds sensor—larger than the typical 1-inch sensors found in some high-end Android devices, including the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. The sensor features a crop factor of 2x, yielding an effective 50mm equivalent focal length. Utilizing quad-binning technology, the resulting photographs achieve a native resolution of 25MP.
The configuration includes a 35mm lens with an adjustable aperture ranging from f/1.4 to f/11. While there is a manual focusing ring for precision, adjustments to shutter speed remain accessible only through the Pro camera mode.
Notably, Xiaomi has developed this entire module in-house, without the assistance of third-party manufacturers, including the lens itself. Although there is potential for collaboration with Leica in future iterations, Xiaomi is currently focusing on keeping production costs minimal by maintaining control of the manufacturing process.
As of now, Xiaomi has not provided any information regarding plans to transition this prototype into a commercially available product, leaving the future of this innovative cameraphone concept uncertain.
Source
www.gsmarena.com