Xiaomi has reportedly unveiled the world’s first smartphone with a 108 MP camera developed by Samsung, yet to be included inside the South Korean companies products.
The Mi CC9 Pro Premium is set for an exclusive release in China, with the base model to cost 2,799 Yuan.
As reported by the BBC, Xiaomi believes the new camera, which will also feature inside the Mi Note 10, will deliver ‘extremely sharp photographs that are rich in detail’.
Megapixel counts above 100 have usually been reserved for medium format technology, however, the Samsung research and development team have created a sensor that ‘permits multiple exposures in a single shot, resulting in greater detail for both bright and dark areas’.
It does this through ISOCELL Bright’s Tetracell technology which allows four neighbouring pixels to merge together and work as one big pixel, thus permitting the 100+ MP sensor capability.
Camera review site DXOMark gave the camera a score of 130 for photos, just two points behind the Huawei Mate 30 Pro which tops the charts.
According to Ben Wood from the CCS Insight consultancy, phone manufacturers are going to almost any length to ‘turn people’s heads’ citing the ‘enormous megapixel camera’ as one way to grab the consumers attention, with this 108 MP camera sensor being no exception.
However, what has caught the attention of ChannelNews is why Xiaomi has been chosen as the test platform for Samsung’s own 108 MP camera sensor, especially considering circulating rumours of the same camera appearing in the Galaxy S11.
Covered by ChannelNews yesterday, amidst the layoff of 290 employees from a Samsung CPU factory in Texas, reliable Twitter phone leaker @IceUniverse tweeted his prediction of a 108-megapixel sensor making its way to the new Galaxy S11 smartphone.
The Galaxy S11 has a high probability of using a new 108MP sensor.
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) November 4, 2019
It comes as Digitimes Research reveals competition is heating up between Sony and Samsung over CMOS image sensors in their attempts to maintain market leadership, with the handset market likely to remain the largest application market for CMOS image sensors until 2023.
Samsung’s efforts to roll out CMOS image sensors with 108-megapixel in cooperation with Xiaomi demonstrate its ambition to take the lead in the CIS industry said Digitimes Research.
With the first implementation of the massive 108 MP sensor inside the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium, it gives Samsung the opportunity to have real-world testing of the product before applying it to its own flagship phone.
As global smartphone shipments recover following five consecutive quarters of decline, Samsung will want to hold onto its top spot as second place Huawei pushes ahead of Apple amidst a decline of iPhone sales.
Echoing Mr Woods, Samsung will need to hold the consumers’ attention any way they can.
https://twitter.com/xiaomishka/status/1191595985979486208?s=20
