Xiaomi unveils ambitious modular phone concept with lens attachment (Update: More technical specs)

Update, March 3, 2025 (5:30 AM ET): We’ve updated this article with images of the device, and additional technical details shared by Xiaomi. This includes how the Modular Optical System functions, in addition to its hardware specifications.

Original article, March 2, 2025 (13:28 PM ET): Mobile World Congress (MWC) is in full swing, and it’s already off to an interesting start thanks to Xiaomi. The phone maker has shared a new concept Android phone aimed at photography aficionados.

Today, during MWC, Xiaomi unveiled a new concept modular phone. The highlight of this device is its attachable lens module, referred to as the Modular Optical System. Employing a 35mm f/1.4 lens, the system is paired with a 100MP Type 4/3 sensor, which Xiaomi notes is larger than any smartphone sensor available at present.

The lens attaches to the phone body via magnets, and you might expect some lag with such an arrangement. However, Xiaomi gets around this using its 10Gbps LaserLink system, which allows swift wireless data transfer between the phone and the module itself. The company notes that this allows the Modular Optical System to boast similar responsiveness to that of a baked-in smartphone camera.

Xiaomi has also considered minimizing bulk by integrating this entire system — including an autofocus motor — into a relatively stubby 6G lens arrangement that’s barely thicker than the smartphone it sits upon. Notably, the Modular Optical System doesn’t require its own power source and draws watts from the device it’s attached to. It’s also plug-and-play, with no pairing necessary.

If you’re already interested in getting one for yourself, don’t get your hopes up. Xiaomi offered few details about the handset, but did say that it currently has no plans to go to market with the phone. Although there are currently no plans to make it a retail device, Xiaomi says that it is interested in customer feedback.

While this modular phone is interesting, the idea isn’t necessarily new. Sony did something similar with the QX100. Xiaomi also previously created a Xiaomi 12S Ultra concept that featured a 35mm Leica lens. However, the difference here is that this lens module includes the camera sensor, while these other examples are an extension of the phone’s sensors.