Xiaomi 16 Series: Xiaomi is once again going to take a big step in the world of mobile photography. So far we have been hearing the name of Leica camera technology in Xiaomi’s flagship phones – which is a premium German camera company and whose partnership Xiaomi started in 2022. From Xiaomi 12S Ultra to Xiaomi 15 series, this partnership gave great imaging quality. But now the news is that Xiaomi and Leica have parted ways. The upcoming Xiaomi 16 series will no longer come with Leica branding. The company has now decided to introduce its own in-house camera technology on its own.
Design & Style
Xiaomi has always been very innovative about the design in its flagship phones. The same attitude will remain in the Xiaomi 16 series as well. Clean, premium and slightly futuristic design can be seen. But the biggest change this time is the company’s own camera setup, due to which the camera module design of the phone can also be something new.
Display & Visuals
Although not much information has been revealed about the display yet, it is certain that the company will provide AMOLED or LTPO display in the Xiaomi 16 series, which will come with high refresh rate and high brightness. Since this is a premium series, both the screen size and resolution will be top class. This time Xiaomi can be seen matching its visual quality with camera quality.
Performance & Processor
The new processor is likely to be used in the Xiaomi 16 series – Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite 2. This will be Qualcomm’s latest and most powerful mobile chipset, which is considered very powerful not only for performance but also for AI and image processing. Xiaomi is going to integrate its in-house camera technology better with the help of this new processor. Gaming, multitasking, video editing – everything can become even smoother.
Camera Setup
Now the biggest change – camera. Xiaomi has ended its relationship with Leica and is now working on its own made camera hardware and software. There are not only technical but also financial reasons behind this move. The company had to spend ₹ 250 to ₹ 400 separately for Leica branding on every phone. Now that money will be saved and with that Xiaomi will improve its camera technology itself.
It is being discussed that this new in-house imaging technology will be available in all the new series of Xiaomi – Xiaomi 16, 16 Pro, 16 Ultra and 16 Ultra Max. This means that the company will have complete control over the camera – whether it is the quality of the sensor or the post-processing algorithm. Also, the same camera based technology can be given in Redmi and Poco brands. The biggest benefit of this can be seen in Redmi K90 Pro and Poco F8 Ultra, especially in terms of computational photography.
Features & Tech
Xiaomi’s focus is now not to rely only on one partner, but to create its own imaging ecosystem. With this change, the company wants to further strengthen its position – just like Huawei separated from Leica and launched XMAGE technology. Xiaomi has also now started on the same path. With this, features like AI based photo editing, smart scene detection and better night mode are expected to get better.
Battery & Charging
Xiaomi’s flagship phones have always been ahead in terms of battery and charging. It is expected that the 16 series will also get battery above 5000mAh and 100W or even faster fast charging support. Xiaomi already has 120W charging technology, so something new can be seen in this too.
Price & Variants
According to the news, there will be four models in the Xiaomi 16 series – Xiaomi 16, Xiaomi 16 Pro, Xiaomi 16 Ultra and Xiaomi 16 Ultra Max. Their price range is not yet confirmed, but the Ultra Max will go into the top-end premium segment, while the base models may be a little budget friendly. The special thing is that the company’s new camera technology will be used in every model, which will give a new camera experience to the entire portfolio.
Final Verdict
Xiaomi’s decision that it will no longer depend on a big camera company like Leica is a very big and bold step in itself. This will not only strengthen the brand’s identity, but users will also get a unique and in-house imaging experience. The Xiaomi 16 series will be the first glimpse of this new beginning.
If everything goes well, Xiaomi can fulfill its dream of competing with big companies like Samsung and Apple in terms of camera quality in the coming times. Now it remains to be seen whether this new in-house technology actually lives up to people’s expectations or not – but it is certain that Xiaomi now wants to make a place in the market not just with hardware but also with its identity.