Xiaomi Modular Optical System concept hands-on

Xiaomi showcased an interesting new cameraphone concept at this year's MWC in Barcelona, Spain. Although it's reminiscent of past attempts from other manufacturers, Xiaomi's approach is fundamentally different. Sony, for example, tried using an external lens controlled by an Xperia smartphone.

The main advantage of Xiaomi's concept is that it uses the smartphone's ISP, so all the post-processing is done on the device. The phone and the lens connect via Xiaomi's proprietary LaserLink and data transfer happens in nanoseconds. The transfer rate is 10 Gbps.

The lens attaches to a modified Xiaomi 15 with Qi2 magnets similar to MagSafe on iPhones. Snapping the module in place is rather fiddly, though, as it has to be in the exact right position, and you have to align it with two pins on the back. A gentle "snap" tells you you are in the right place, but it's somewhat subtle, so we always have to double-check if the lens is attached. There's another way to know - an icon on the camera's viewfinder lets you know you've successfully connected.

Since the Xiaomi 15 is a small and somewhat thin device, the bulky 100-gram lens makes the whole setup a bit awkward to hold, and obviously you can't use it with a case.

Overall usability is surprisingly good. It almost doesn't feel like a concept. There's no lag, and switching between the other cameras and the modular lens is seamless. Speaking of other cameras, since the lens protrudes a lot, it gets in the way of the ultrawide camera, so you can see part of it in your photos.

The external lens draws power directly from the smartphone only when it's active. Once you switch over to another camera, it turns off. The drawback is that it takes one or two seconds to launch, which can sometimes cost you a great shot.

The lens itself boasts impressive specs. It houses a 100MP Light Fusion X Micro Four Thirds sensor, which is even bigger than the 1-inch type sensor some Android flagship phones use, including the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. It also offers a crop factor of 2x. The sensor uses quad-binning, so native photos come out in 25MP resolution.

The sensor is paired with a 35mm lens with an aperture from f/1.4 to f/11. There's also a manual focusing ring, but the shutter speed can only be adjusted through the Pro camera mode.

Controlling the modular lens

Interestingly enough, the whole module is built in-house with no third-party involvement. This includes the lens. Xiaomi doesn't rule out potential Leica involvement once the prototype is ready to be mass-produced, but for now, Xiaomi is keeping the cost low by making everything at home.

Xiaomi didn't share any plans on to make this a market-ready product, so don't hold your breath.