Xiaomi to launch a 48MP camera smartphone in January 2019
What's the story
Looking at how the number of cameras on a smartphone and the number of pixels in the camera sensor are increasing, one can say that in today's smartphone wars, camera is the only battlefield left. And to set a new record, Xiaomi has teased to launch the world's first smartphone with a 48MP camera sensor. Here's everything we know about this Xiaomi phone.
It is official
Xiaomi President reveals the 48MP camera smartphone, but only partially
Xiaomi President Lin Bin has shared an image on Weibo, teasing a portion of the upcoming smartphone. The photo reveals a 48MP rear camera sensor and a dual LED flash. And while the picture does not show the total number of sensors, we expect to see at least two. Bin has also confirmed that the phone will launch in January 2019.
High-end
Xiaomi could use a Sony or Samsung camera sensor
The upcoming Xiaomi phone could come equipped either with a Sony IMX586 sensor or Samsung ISOCELL Bright GM1. Both the sensors offer effective 48MP with 0.8-micron size. Moreover, with 4-in-1 pixel binning technique, these sensors can offer higher quality low-light images equivalent to a 12MP 1.6-micron pixel camera. Further, these sensors can offer 4x digital zoom or in other words, sharp 12MP pictures.
Connecting the dots
The phone may come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 chipset
Back in October, Xiaomi India head Manu Kumar Jain had said that the company would launch a new smartphone with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor, sometime in 2019. And considering this chipset supports upto 48MP camera sensors, it is possible that the phone teased by Bin may be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor.
New benchmark
Xiaomi's upcoming phone will break Nokia Lumia 1020's record
Released back in 2013, the Nokia Lumia 1020 continues to hold the record for offering the highest megapixels on a smartphone camera with a 41MP sensor. Further, sharing the second place are Huawei's P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro, each sporting a 40MP main sensor. However, with a massive 48MP camera sensor, the upcoming Xiaomi phone will dethrone the Nokia Lumia 1020.