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Posts Tagged ‘Xiaomi’

Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha 5G will pack a 108MP camera and wrap-around ‘Surround Screen’

25 Sep

Xiaomi has officially introduced its Mi Mix Alpha, a 5G concept phone featuring a ‘true’ bezel-free experience. The phone has a massive 180.6% screen-to-body ratio, meaning the display wraps around the edges of the phone and covers the majority of the device’s rear panel. Similarly impressive is the device’s 108MP camera with its 12032 x 9024 pixel resolution.

Xiaomi teased the Mi Mix Alpha’s existence in early August at its Future Image Technology Communications Conference in Beijing. At the time, the company said it would be the first company to pack Samsung’s 108MP ISOCELL sensor into a smartphone, though it didn’t provide any other details at the time.

During its latest event today, Xiaomi introduced the camera that packs that sensor, its new Mix Mix Alpha with Surround Screen. This phone features aerospace titanium, a single power button on the top, pressure-sensitive sides, and a fingerprint sensor hidden underneath the display.

The Mi Mix Alpha is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ chipset alongside 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. Joining the 108MP sensor is a secondary rear 12MP telephoto camera with dual PD focus and 2x optical zoom. The phone doesn’t feature a traditional front ‘selfie’ camera due also having a display on the back of the handset — the rear camera is, technically speaking, a front camera as well.

Xiaomi describes the Mi Mix Alpha as a ‘5G concept smartphone.’ According to Engadget, the company plans to produce a small number of units for sale in China at 19,999 yuan (approx. $ 2800 / €2,550) starting in December, but the company’s broader plans for the model, including international availability, are unclear at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi teases future Mi smartphone with 108MP Samsung camera sensor

07 Aug

Xiaomi, the company often called the ‘Apple of China,’ has announced plans to pack a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL camera sensor into an upcoming Mi series smartphone model. The plan was teased by the company during the Xiaomi Future Image Technology Communication Conference in Beijing earlier today.

Xiaomi’s conference largely revolved around the Samsung ISOCELL GW1, a 64MP camera sensor that, based on Xiaomi’s past teases, is expected to launch in a future Redmi smartphone. The GW1 sensor is viewed as the next step up from the 48MP sensor found in a number of existing phone models, including the Redmi Note 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro.

In addition to detailing the 64MP sensor, Xiaomi announced that it will be the first company to use a Samsung 108MP ISOCELL 12032 x 9024 image sensor in a smartphone. The company didn’t reveal which model will pack the camera, but Ice Universe, a credible leaker on Twitter, claims the 108MP sensor will be available in the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 model.

Samsung hasn’t released any information about this 108MP camera sensor at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi provides more information about under-screen front camera technology

05 Jun

Earlier this week smartphone manufacturers OPPO and Xiaomi both teased under-screen front-cameras that would allow for the design of ‘notch-less’ devices with uninterrupted edge-to-edge displays.

Xiaomi Senior VP followed up with several tweeted slides that provided some additional information about the technology. According to the slides the display area covering the front camera is capable of turning transparent when the camera is activated, allowing for light to pass and hit the lens and sensor, but looks and works normally when the front shooter is not in use.

To achieve this, Xiaomi is using a using ‘special-low-reflective glass with high transmittance’. The company claims the technology can capture better images than the pinhole solutions we have seen previously although OPPO VP Brian Shen stated that the technology was still new and ‘there’s bound to be some loss in optical quality.’

The slides also hint at a 20MP camera hidden under the display but at this point we don’t know which new model the technology could be implemented in. Given the current buzz around the subject it likely won’t be too long before we find out, however.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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OPPO and Xiaomi demo under-display front cameras

04 Jun
Xiaomi Mi 9 prototype with under-display front camera (left)

Front cameras are an essential component in mobile devices and used for a range of tasks, including selfie captures, video calls and face-unlocking. However, they can stand in the way of clean device design, taking up space on the front of the phone and requiring bulky top-bezels, display holes or a front camera ‘notch’.

Recently several manufacturers have come up with creative design solutions that ensure an uninterrupted almost bezel-less display. Pop-up and rotating cameras are mechanical solutions, however, that are subject to wear and tear. Now it looks like Chinese manufacturer OPPO has found a solution that does not require any moving parts: a camera that is hidden under the display.

OPPO VP Brian Shen shared a video clip on the social network Weibo, showing what appears to be a smartphone without any visible front camera holes or notches on a desk. When the camera app is launched a live preview of the room’s ceiling is displayed. The demonstrator also moves their finger over the area where the camera appears to hidden.

Rival Xiaomi did not take long to respond to the OPPO video, posting its own under-display camera demo. Company’s president Lin Bin shared a video clip in which an under-display camera was added to a Xiaomi Mi 9 prototype.

In contrast to mechanical solutions users of an under-display camera would not have to worry about wear and tear but in a follow-up post to the demo, Shen says that the technology is still in an early development phase. ‘At this stage, it’s difficult for under-display cameras to match the same results as normal cameras, there’s bound to be some loss in optical quality,’ Shen writes. ‘But, no new technology jumps to perfection right away.’ Neither OPPO nor Xiaomi have said when the new technology will be released.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi and Light announce partnership to push smartphone photography forward

27 Feb

It looks like Light, the maker of the L16 multi-lens camera, is really putting its money on the mobile sector. A few days ago the company announced it was partnering with Sony to use the Japanese chip maker’s image sensor in its multi-camera modules.

Shortly after, at the Mobile World Congress HMD Global launched its Nokia 9 PureView smartphone which uses Light’s technology in its main camera. Nokia phones won’t be the only smartphones to come with Light-engineered cameras, however. Now Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi and Light have announced that they’ll collaborate in developing smartphone cameras and computational photography technology as well.

The partnership is still brand new, so it will likely take some time before we see the first results in the shape of final products on store shelves. That said, it’s good to see Light is working with multiple manufacturers to market its innovative imaging technologies, which will likely accelerate market penetration and innovation of multi-lens cameras alike.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi launches Mi 9 smartphone with triple camera, up to 8GB of RAM

21 Feb

We are getting close to the start of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which means we should see a number of high-profile mobile device launches over the coming days. Today Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has thrown the first punch by launching its new Mi 9 flagship smartphone and, at least on paper, the new Xiaomi looks like an enticing option for smartphone photographers.

The Mi 9’s triple-cam setup is built around an 48MP Sony IMX586 1/2″ sensor which comes with a quad-bayer filter and produces 12MP image output. The lens offers an F1.75 aperture and 26mm equivalent focal length.

The primary module is joined by an ultra-wide-angle with 17mm equivalent focal length and F2.2 aperture. It uses a 16MP 1/3″ Sony IMX481 sensor. The tele offers a 2x magnification for a 50mm equivalent focal length and captures image information on a 12MP 1/3.4″ Samsung S5K3M5 sensor with 1.0µm pixels and a F2.2 aperture.

A combination of PDAF and laser is used for focusing and for very dim conditions a LED flash is on board. By default the Mi 9 records 4K video at 30 frames per second but the frame rate can be increased to 60 fps.

Images can be viewed and edited on a 6.39″ AMOLED display with 1080p+ resolution and hidden in a display notch you’ll find the 20MP front camera with F2.0 aperture which in some regions will use artificial intelligence to power a face-unlock function.

An in-display fingerprint reader and fast charging for the 3,300mAh battery are on board as well and Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 855 chipset is paired with 6GB of RAM to power the Android operating system. Photos and videos can be stored on 64GB or 128GB of internal storage.

Pricing starts at approximately $ 455 for the 6/128GB version. The 8/128GB variant will set you back approximately $ 490. No information on exact pricing and availability outside China has been released yet.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi teases Mi 9 product images and camera samples

15 Feb

We are getting close to the largest annual mobile technology show, the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and one of the manufacturers expected to launch a new flagship device has already spilled some of its beans.

Xiaomi Senior VP Xiang Wang shared a bunch of press renders of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 9, showing the triple-camera on the rear of the device in all its glory. The main module will feature a 48MP sensor and the Mi 9 is likely one of the first handsets to be powered by Qualcomm’s latest top-end chipset Snapdragon 855.

Meanwhile another Xiaomi executive, co-founder and director of the Chinese division Chuan Wang posted a few full-size camera samples on his Weibo profile. A low-light shot of some plastic flower, and indoor shot of an aquarium and an outdoor image of three golden labradors all show good color and dynamic range. When zooming in to a 100% view there is a lot of fine detail but also some of the smearing of fine textures that is typical for many smartphone cameras.

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The Xiaomi Mi 9 will be officially launched on February 24. Full specifications and other information about the triple-camera will be available then.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi co-founder teases 48MP smartphone camera

07 Dec

Earlier this year Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi announced it had established an in-house camera division. Now it seems the initiative is bearing its first fruits.

Xiaomi co-founder and President Lin Bin has teased a smartphone with 48MP camera module on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. The image he posted shows a close-up of a rear camera with a ’48MP camera’ label next to the lens. Bin says he has used the phone for a few weeks and that it will be released in January.

That’s not an awful lot of information, but it means the upcoming Xiaomi phone will feature the highest pixel count ever on a mobile image sensor. Nokia’s 808 PureView juggernaut came with a 41MP sensor and the much more recent Huawei Mate 20 Pro features a 40MP quad Bayer arrangement.

Like the Nokia 808 PureView and Huawei Mate 20 Pro, the unreleased Xiaomi phone is likely to use its pixel count for high-quality digital zooming, pixel-binning for lower noise, and other computational trickery, rather than outputting enormous image files.

The sensor in question could be the Sony IMX586 quad-Bayer model which was announced in July. At 1/2″ it’s large for a mobile sensor, but due to the high pixel-count, individual pixels still only measure 0.8µm. Samsung’s Bright GM1 is another option with very similar specifications.

It’ll be interesting to see if the new Xiaomi will solely rely on the power of the 48MP sensor or add additional sensors, for example for tele, super-wide-angle or black-and-white shooting into the mix. We’ll know more in January.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi details DeepExposure, an AI that automatically fixes image exposure and detail

06 Dec

Chinese company Xiaomi’s AI Lab has published a new paper detailing an AI network called “DeepExposure” that improves low-quality images through machine learning. “Comparing with other methods,” the researchers explained in their paper, “our algorithm can restore most of the details and styles in original images while enhancing brightness and colors.”

DeepExposure utilizes generative adversarial networks and asynchronous adversarial learning to split low-quality images into segments called sub-images. The system computes both local and global exposures for these sub-images, then evaluates their quality before blending them with the original image.

The end result is an image with improved exposure and detail, opening the door for future solutions that may automatically enhance low-quality photos. It’s possible that Xiaomi may one day offer this technology on its smartphones, which already offer other AI capabilities.

The researchers point out in their paper, “Due to the requirement of expertise of photography, photo quality enhancement is beyond the capability of non-professional users, thus leading to the new trend of automatic techniques of image retouching.”

The study indicates that DeepExposure could also be adjusted in the future to improve image tone and contrast.

Xiaomi isn’t the only company using artificial intelligence to automatically improve images. Earlier this year, researchers with Intel and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign detailed a deep neural network able to brighten low-light images without reducing their quality. Similarly, a technology called Deep Image Prior was unveiled last year with the ability to recreate damaged parts of an image based on the image’s existing elements.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 launches with tele-camera and night mode

26 Oct

Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi today announced its new flagship smartphone, the Mi MIX 3. The new device features a 6.4” AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and only minimal bezels. Unlike most current high-end phones, the Xiaomi doesn’t come with a display notch. Instead the rear of the phone slides upwards, revealing a front dual-cam setup with 24MP main module and a 2MP depth-sensing camera.

Rear camera hardware specs have not changed compared to the Mi 8 and Mi Mix 2S which were both released earlier this year. The rear dual-camera comes with a 12MP wide-angle primary camera that uses a 1/2.55 Sony IMX363 sensor with 1.4µm pixel size, F1.8 aperture and OIS.

The secondary 2x tele-camera comes with smaller 1.0µm pixels and an F/2.4 aperture lens. Software-wise the Mi MIX 3 offers a new Night Mode for hand-held long-exposure shots and AI-powered scene recognition.

Other specs are in line with the current crop of top-end Android phones. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset and 6, 8 or 10GB of RAM. You can choose between 128GB or 256GB of internal storage but there are no expansion slot headphone jack.

Pricing starts at $ 475 (CNY3,299) for the 6/128GB version and goes up to $ 720 (CNY4,999) for the 10/256GB model. Preorder is starting today and the device will actually be available November 1.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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