Xiaomi 16: Compact Leica flagship with new main camera and huge battery but no periscope telephoto

Lots of new information about the next-gen, compact camera flagships is surfacing this weekend. Digital Chat Station recently revealed some exciting details about the Vivo X300 Pro Mini, and now Indian leaker Kartikey Singh has just provided new tidbits about the successor to the Xiaomi 15. Apparently, Xiaomi changed its original plans somewhat during the development of the Xiaomi 16. Initially, a periscope telephoto module was supposedly planned for the compact 6.3-inch Leica flagship, but this is now missing from the latest prototypes.

Hence, Xiaomi seems to be installing the same ISOCELL JN5 sensor that handles 2.6x zoom and macro shots on the Xiaomi 15. Disappointing, but there are other promising upgrades reportedly in the works. These include smaller display bezels, made possible by LIPO technology (also used by Vivo). A larger battery is also on the agenda. If the rumors prove true, the 6.3-inch phone will have a battery of almost 7,000 mAh.

Camera fans in particular can look forward to a new sensor for the main camera. According to Singh, Xiaomi is installing a new 1/1.3-inch 50-MP Omnivision QV50Q sensor, which will offer very high dynamic range for better HDR photos thanks to LOFIC technology and is said to be more efficient due to improved autofocus performance. The leaker concludes that compared to the Xiaomi 15, the main camera has been improved, but not the two sidekick shooters, while the display and battery will receive the aforementioned improvements, all of which will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2.