Xiaomi’s phones, like the majority of handsets designed and made in China, aren’t sold in the states. But it always is a good idea to follow what is going on with these manufacturers because many times they are ahead of the field when it comes to new features and specs. For example, back in June, we told you that hidden code found in the latest MIUI (Xiaomi’s Android UI) Camera app revealed that a Xiaomi phone would possibly be among the first to use Samsung’s 64MP ISOCELL sensor. Samsung announced the 64MP ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor back in May.
While Realme is reportedly about to launch a phone sporting a 64MP rear camera later this month, Xiaomi revealed today that it will release its first device with a 64MP camera in the fourth quarter. This will be found on a handset with the Redmi brand; this is Xiaomi’s budget line. The 64MP GW1 employs the pixel-merging Tetracell technology to deliver “bright” 16MP snapshots under low-light conditions. The sensor comes with the ISOCELL Plus technology which reduces noise by “minimizing optical loss and light reflection.” It also has a technology known as Dual Conversion Gain (DCG) that optimizes performance and reduces noise in bright light by allowing the use of lower ISO settings. It also hikes the ISO setting under low-light conditions but does so to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio on photos shot in less-than-optimal lighting conditions.
Xiaomi also announced that Samsung has broken the 100MP mark with a new 108MP sensor that will debut on an upcoming Xiaomi phone. It has the highest resolution of any smartphone camera sensor and can produce photographs carrying a resolution of 12032 x 9024. With 2x digital zoom, the sensor will still capture 27MP images. The size of the sensor will be the largest available on the market and this means that its “ultra-high light input (will be used) to deliver stellar images in low-light environments.”
Back in March, chipmaker Qualcomm hinted that 64MP and 100MP+ sensors were in the works. This brings back memories of the megapixel wars that led Nokia to include a 41MP camera on the back of the Lumia 1020 back in 2013. Up until recently, the main focus (no pun intended) has been on the use of multiple sensors to improve the photographic experience on phones. Also, the addition of ultra-wide lenses and time of flight (ToF) depth sensors has seemingly replaced the number of MP in importance as far as consumers are concerned. Google’s image processing prowess helped turn the Pixel into one of the top (if not the top) smartphone brands for those who want their phone to take outstanding pictures. Up until now, Google has fought back against the higher MP and multiple sensor trends by placing a single 12MP sensor on the Pixel line. However, it appears that the Pixel 4 will be equipped with multiple cameras on the back.
While many Americans might not be familiar with the Xiaomi brand, the company did launch the first smartphone to feature a 48MP camera earlier this year. That was the Redmi 7. In the U.S., the OnePlus 7 Pro features a 48MP primary camera on the back. And next up will be 64MP, which might not be found on a U.S. phone until after the first quarter of 2020. As for the 108MP sensor, don’t expect to find it on a phone sold in the states until 2021-2022.