Xiaomi 13 Ultra: No main camera sensor upgrade for Xiaomi's upcoming flagship

Xiaomi debuted the Xiaomi 13 series in China last month. The company launched the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro at that event, and looks certain to bring the Xiaomi 13 Ultra to the market as well in the near future. Sadly, though, it appears that phone may not arrive with massive camera hardware upgrades.

According to leaker Ice Universe, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra will utilize the 1-inch type Sony IMX989 as its main camera. That sensor may be familiar to some, as it was used on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra which launched back in July last year. It's also found a home in the new Xiaomi 13 Pro. That said, however, the IMX989 is widely regarded as the most impressive smartphone CMOS sensor on the market right now, and having it on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra would not be disappointing by any means. It's expected that most Chinese flagships this year will sport that same sensor, for example. 

While the Xiaomi 13 Ultra's sensor remains unchanged from the Xiaomi 12S Ultra's, the flagship phone is tipped to feature an upgraded lens. Lens quality is something of a bottleneck with smartphone cameras these days, and a better lens—potentially coupled with improved imaging software—should see the Xiaomi 13 Ultra's main camera handily outperform its predecessor's. As previously reported, the 13 Ultra is also touted to feature a significantly improved zoom camera.

Buy the Xiaomi 12T on Amazon.