Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept camera samples and hands-on photos reveal capabilities and scale of Frankenstein smartphone
Xiaomi has shared camera samples supposedly taken with the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept, a smartphone that it announced earlier today. As we have discussed separately, Xiaomi's concept smartphone takes the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, adds a secondary 1-inch camera sensor and revises its camera housing to provide compatibility with Leica M lenses. Incidentally, the company has also allowed people to photograph the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept, which we reproduced below.
Currently, Xiaomi has published nine images, which it posted to Weibo. Additionally, well-known Weibo leaker WhyLAB has revealed a dozen other photos that they claim have been taken using the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept too. On the face of it, all these photos are more detailed and closer to what a DSLR can produce than conventional smartphone camera sensors. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether these are untouched or if they have been tweaked using third-party photo editing software.
Regardless, the images highlight the limitations of using a so-called 1-inch sensor. For example, the sensor's crop factor is particularly noticeable, especially in shots that mimic a telephoto lens. Seemingly, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept is a one-off and is not a smartphone that Xiaomi plans to mass-produce like the regular Xiaomi 12S Ultra. Instead, it appears to represent Xiaomi's attempts to improve smartphone photography capabilities via lens improvements, rather than relying on ever larger sensors. With the Xiaomi 13 series expected to arrive within the next month or so, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept could well be a taster for what is on the horizon in the likes of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
