It seems that we could be seeing a new camera phone from Xiaomi that will use a 200MP sensor developed by Samsung. These new rumors suggest that this upcoming Xiaomi handset could be the Xiaomi Mi 12, which will be replacing the Xioami Mi 11 series.
As camera phone technology continues to progress, we're beginning to see sensors with megapixel counts that blow even the best medium format cameras (opens in new tab) out of the water. While it would be unrealistic to expect a camera phone sensor to produce comparable image quality to, say, a Hasselblad, these large megapixel counts can still produce impressive results.
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As reported by Android Headlines (opens in new tab), this new 200MP camera phone sensor is rumored to have been developed by Samsung in partnership with veteran camera brand Olympus. It's rumored to feature 16-to-1 pixel binning (opens in new tab) technology. This means that this 200MP sensor will produce what will effectively be 12MP images.
If you're feeling a little duped by the idea that 200MP quickly dwindles into 12MP photos, it's worth remembering that pixel binning enables smartphones to combine multiple adjacent pixels and combine them into one larger pixel that's able to capture more light. This means that you'll get better quality images, even when shooting in dark environments.
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This new Xiaomi camera phone is also rumored to feature an improved, dual-curved display with a single punch hole for the front-facing camera. Meanwhile, camera phone tipster Evan Blass recently claimed that this new handset will use a 4mm fabrication process that will bring improved power-efficiency to the phone.
These new camera phone rumors sound exciting, but we'll presumably have to wait for Samsung to announce this 200MP beast of a sensor before we see this rumored Xiaomi handset appear.
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