Xiaomi might be working on a 64MP smartphone

Based on some strings of code XDA-Developers found earlier today, Xiaomi is working on a smartphone with a 64MP primary camera.

Found in the latest MIUI 10 China Developer ROM for the Redmi K20 Pro, the strings reference a 64MP “ultra-pixel” mode several times. The strings also reference a “64MP DUAL CAMERA” watermark for images.

This lines up with information from Ice Universe published on Weibo. According to the known leaker, Xiaomi subsidiary Redmi is working on a smartphone with a 64MP camera. The phone will supposedly be the first device in China to feature such a camera.

However, Xiaomi might face some competition in the form of Samsung and its unannounced Galaxy A70S. Rumored to be a slightly-upgraded version of the regular Galaxy A70, the Galaxy A70S could be the first to feature a 64MP camera.

The only 64MP sensor announced so far is the ISOCELL Bright GW1, which Samsung announced back in May. The sensor uses Samsung’s take on pixel-binning to merge data from four pixels into one. That results in 16MP images with a 1.6-micron pixel size.

The ISOCELL Bright GW1 also supports super phase detection auto-focus technology, Dual Conversion Gain (DCG) for improved use of light from the environment, and real-time high dynamic range (HDR) of up to 100 decibels (dB) for better contrast.

We’ll have to wait and see whether Xiaomi or Samsung is the first to throw down the 64MP gauntlet. Then again, it might not matter — a Qualcomm executive reportedly said smartphones with 100MP sensors are coming by the end of 2019.

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