Some buy flagships for the ultimate experience. These maxed-out beasts offer large and bright displays that are satin-smooth, the latest chipsets ensure King Kong raw power performance, plus insane charging speeds. And, a $1500 phone just feels good in the hand – they are built premium.
Some, though, buy flagships because they have no other option. See, such unfortunate buyers are not crazy about having the absolute best in terms of built, but they do crave the very best phone camera there is. And, for the moment, the very best phone cameras are locked in a flagship body.
That’s not to say that there aren’t great mid-range shooters – of course there are! Anyone who’s had a device from the Pixel “a” series knows what I mean. It’s just that if you want it all in one – main, tele and ultra-wide cameras at their best – you have to maul your wallet and cohabit with a flagship.
According to a Gizmochina report that inspects some Chinese promotional posters for the 14 Ultra, Xiaomi will come with the 50-megapixel Sony LYT-900 sensor for the main camera. This isn’t exactly news, as we’ve previously commented on such a possibility, but it’s nice to see there aren’t any last-minute changes.
Being a one-inch type sensor, the Sony LYT-900 is large and it’s the spiritual successor to the insanely popular and beloved Sony IMX989 sensor (the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, the vivo X90 Pro, the Oppo Find X6 Pro all packed it, plus many more).
LYT is short for LYTIA, and that’s the new product brand of image sensors for mobile devices developed by SSS (Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation). It’s pronounced “Lye-tee-ya”, not Lithya, Lythia or Litya.
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It’s expected the Xiaomi 14 Ultra will offer a variable aperture (just like its predecessor, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra did) of f/1.63 to f/4.0.
The telephoto cameras
The report claims the Xiaomi 14 Ultra will pack a 50-megapixel IMX858 sensor for the first telephoto camera – a 3.2x (75mm equivalent focal length) optical zoom that comes with a large, bright f/1.8 aperture.
The second telephoto camera on the 14 Ultra will most likely come with the same 50-megapixel Sony IMX858 sensor, but this one could be a 5x (120mm equivalent focal length) optical zoom periscope lens that offers an f/2.5 aperture.
The wide-angle camera
Xiaomi has yet to confirm the details of the ultra-wide lens of the 14 Ultra. The device will likely inherit the 50-megapixel ultra-wide lens with macro photography capabilities that were seen on the predecessor model – once again a Sony IMX858 sensor with an aperture of f/1.8.
Right now, the Find X7 Ultra has been regarded as one of the best in mobile photography, as it packs some interesting hardware and software, namely – large sensors and Hasselblad tone magic. On a side note: Xiaomi’s collaboration with Leica is also extremely satisfying.
Naturally, the “Oppo Find X7 Ultra vs. Xiaomi 14 Ultra” dilemma will be Ultra popular in the coming months (unless you’re Ultra-fast and you’ve already got the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which is a favorite of ours).
To recap, here are the expected cameras – sensors, lenses and apertures – on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra:
LYT-900: main camera, 1-inch sensor, f/1.63 to f/4.0 (variable aperture)
What immediately stands out is how much bigger the sensor for the 3x optical zoom camera is on the Find X7 Ultra (1/1.56-inch) compared to its Xiaomi 14 Ultra counterpart (1/2.51-inch). Oppo says the IMX890 is the biggest telephoto sensor “in any smartphone”.
Given that sensor size is important when discussing the aperture numbers for the 3x optical zooms, it’s interesting to see how the “darker” lens and larger sensor on the Find X7 Ultra (plus Hasselblad software magic) will perform against Xiaomi’s smaller sensor that’s coupled with a larger, brighter lens (sprinkled with Leica processing).
The other thing that stands out when comparing these two photo monsters is how much brighter Xiaomi’s secondary optical zoom is: f/2.5 vs. f/4.3 (the sensor size is the same, given that they both use the Sony IMX858). Put in simpler terms, the f/2.5 aperture lets in twice as much (and a tad more) light in as does the f/4.3 aperture.
More light means better quality, as the scene can be exposed better using lower ISO (or it could freeze faster-moving objects in the dark because of higher shutter speeds).
A larger aperture also means juicier bokeh, so the 120mm secondary zoom on the Xiaomi will be great for portraits (don’t let anybody fool you that portraits are done only in the 50mm through the 75mm focal distance range).
Being a 6x, instead of 5x, the 135mm camera on the Find X7 Ultra could be better for capturing some nice details (in the daytime) that are further away from you.
For finals: the Oppo Find X7 Ultra remains the only one with two periscope zooms, as the Xiaomi's dual telephoto setup packs only one periscope zoom and one "standard" telephoto.
Remember! The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s specs are not yet official!
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Sebastian, a veteran of a tech writer with over 15 years of experience in media and marketing, blends his lifelong fascination with writing and technology to provide valuable insights into the realm of mobile devices. Embracing the evolution from PCs to smartphones, he harbors a special appreciation for the Google Pixel line due to their superior camera capabilities. Known for his engaging storytelling style, sprinkled with rich literary and film references, Sebastian critically explores the impact of technology on society, while also perpetually seeking out the next great tech deal, making him a distinct and relatable voice in the tech world.
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