Xiaomi 12 Pro and Google Pixel 4 camera sensor size comparison shows how far camera hardware has come

Smartphone camera hardware has come in leaps and bounds over the past few years. While most of that can be attributed to the Huawei P20 Pro from 2018, OEMs like Samsung and Xiaomi both contributed significantly. A new comparison image has now placed the Xiaomi 12 Pro's 50 MP sensor right next to the Google Pixel 4's 12 MP shooter, for some juxtaposition. 

The Xiaomi 12 Pro's 50 MP sensor hilariously outsizes the Pixel 4's sensor, of course. The Xiaomi 12 Pro features the Sony IMX707, a 1/1.28-inch behemoth of a CMOS sensor. The Pixel 4, on the other hand, featured the ancient IMX363 with a much smaller 1/2.55-inch size.

While the Xiaomi 12 Pro's significantly larger sensor means being able to pull in more light and information, real-world camera performance is decided by other factors as well. Lens quality comes to mind, with perhaps the most important of the lot being software. Google's computational photography pushed smartphone cameras just as hard as the Huawei P20 Pro's hardware did, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the Pixel 4's camera still outperforms the Xiaomi 12 Pro's despite the huge hardware disadvantage. 

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