The expected flagship of the Chinese company Xiaomi 12 Ultra could repeat the success of its predecessor and finish on the podium of DXOMark. For those unfamiliar with it, DXOMark is an independent testing company that runs thousands of tests on photographic sensors of cameras and smartphones. The set of data, which includes tests carried out for both the photographic and the video part, is then used to draw up a ranking in which the performance of smartphones is objectively evaluated.
Partnership with Leica and new design
Xiaomi 12 Ultra has not yet been officially presented but Wang Teng, general manager of Xiaomi in China, shared a post on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo about the photographic capabilities of the company’s next top of the range. Apparently, the news in store for users will be many, starting with a completely different design compared to Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, the first smartphone to be equipped with the 50 Megapixel Samsung GN2 sensor. How can we not forget the small secondary screen placed next to the photographic sector: it seems, however, that the successor will take another direction.
It almost seems obvious that Xiaomi 12 Ultra will see Xiaomi and Leica together to give life to a new photographic system, now that the exclusive collaboration agreement with Huawei has ended. From the most recent rumors, it seems that the top of the range will be equipped with a circular module that recalls the design of Leitz Phone 1, the first Leica smartphone equipped with a 1 ″ sensor with 20 MP resolution. Render and mockups made of aluminum seem to confirm the presence of a circular insert in which the photographic sensors will be present, but Xiaomi has more than one ace up its sleeve.
According to reliable sources, a new algorithm for the post-production of the shots could also debut. Anyone who has had or still owns a Google Pixel knows how much difference the application of software correction algorithms can make to improve the quality of shots on smartphones. Hardware capabilities alone are not enough, especially when sensors with such small dimensions are used when compared to photosensors of mirrorless and SLR cameras.
The science of colors used also makes a big difference, and in this, the collaboration with Leica could help a lot, in particular for the production of black and white shots, a field in which Leica has made and continues to make history. What do you think about it? Could Xiaomi 12 Ultra really enter the Olympus of the DXOMark ranking? Let us know in the comments box.