Xiaomi has patented three new designs for its future mobile phones that would not be news if it were not for the generous size of its camera modules. And it is that they have definitely lost the fear of making huge modules if with them they improve this section so important for the vast majority.
Xiaomi’s huge photographic future
Seeing how a brand, whatever it may be, makes a patent request on any aspect of the devices it manufactures should not be anything striking. Because it is something that is done on a regular basis for each future release.
However, when it comes to Xiaomi and their phones, things change. Especially after having seen what they are capable of doing with the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and that gigantic rear camera module that it introduced, which then we must admit was very well justified by the quality capable of offering both photo and video.
Well, it seems that the Chinese manufacturer has completely lost the fear of what users will say about having huge camera modules in their phones. Xiaomi has patented three new phone designs that let us see clearly that the photographic bet is going to be much more important still. And that means that if to have higher quality they have to use larger sensors and, therefore, have a larger module, they will do so without looking back.
Thus, as you can see in the diagrams, the number of cameras inserted in each of these modules is quite generous and without more data than what you see, we dare to say that it even varied. Because it is clear that the largest circle would be for the main sensor, perhaps for that new sensor of more than 200 MP that Samsung created and quite possibly a Xiaomi will debut. Although there is also room for others with a rectangular shape that seems to be for cameras with telephoto lenses like the ones we have already seen with zooms of up to 120x.
Of the three patented designs, only two are the ones that really attract the most attention due to size and number of cameras. Although the third, which could correspond to lower-end models, would also have a sensor and lens presumably larger than those that we have usually been used to seeing in more or less recent proposals plus two additional ones.
A design work in collaboration with Samsung
For the design of these modules it seems that Samsung has had something to do, at least for the part that touches on the use of its latest Isocell sensors. Those that not only shoot the number of megapixels but also their size.
In addition, it is impossible to deny the resemblance between one of these designs and the latest Samsung Galaxy S21. But that the camera modules look alike is no longer really a novelty, the novel thing would be to do something different when it comes to encapsulating the cameras. Like, for example, Xiaomi’s own Mi 11 Ultra or the Oppo Find X3 Pro that we analyzed here and whose integration with the rear has been one of the most attractive we have seen in recent months.
Whatever it is and leaving aside the design issue and if they can be more or less original, like more or like less, what is clear is that Xiaomi is betting heavily on photography. Right now it is one of the manufacturers that is doing the best. Because all brands always try to sell this section so important to the user well, but few later demonstrate in day-to-day use that they are capable of offering quality in all kinds of scenarios.
The only thing that would be great is that they did not include, neither Xiaomi nor any other brand, sensors for the simple fact of having space to put them. Since sometimes there are macro cameras or other more particular ones that seem to be there simply to say that they have a triple or a quadruple camera, because at the level of results then they contribute rather little.