Why 200MP telephoto cameras are Xiaomi’s next step

Smartphone camera technology has reached a stage where sensor size, computational photography and optical quality simultaneously play a decisive role. In recent years, Xiaomi has managed to optimize wide and ultra-wide cameras to the standard level of compact cameras, but telephoto cameras remained at a lower quality level for a long time due to physical limitations in the thickness and internal space of the phone. However, in new flagships, especially in the Ultra series, 200MP telephoto sensors have been introduced as a permanent solution to the old zoom problems.

Traditional telephoto cameras on smartphones usually come with a fixed 3x or 5x zoom. Magnifications between these values ​​are done through digital zoom, resulting in a loss of detail and image resolution that is clearly visible when zooming from 3x to 5x.

The 200MP telephoto sensor offers a different approach. In this method, instead of artificially enlarging the image, a part of a very high resolution image is cropped. This process, known as lossless zoom, ensures that image detail and texture are preserved even at wide zoom ranges.

The advantage of a high-resolution telephoto sensor isn’t just limited to the number of megapixels. The real value of such a sensor lies in its physical dimensions and pixel composition capabilities. Today’s 200-megapixel sensors typically have a nominal size of 1.4-inches and use advanced pixel-combining technologies.

In low light conditions, several adjacent pixels merge together to form larger pixels, resulting in increased image brightness and reduced noise. In bright environments, the sensor activates at full resolution, enabling 5x, 10x or even higher magnifications without quality loss. The result of these features include consistent image quality from medium to long zoom, better telephoto performance in low light, natural background compression in portrait photography, and reduced need to use multiple separate telephoto lenses.

High-resolution telephoto cameras also have a noticeable advantage in close-up photography. In traditional close-up photography, ultra-wide lenses are often used, which require getting too close to the subject, while macro telephoto allows for close-up shots from further away.

In the video department, the presence of a 200-megapixel sensor provides the possibility of recording 8K video through the telephoto lens, and also enables smooth and continuous digital zoom when recording 4K video; A feature that is widely used in concerts, wildlife and content production.

Xiaomi has always been a pioneer in using advanced camera technologies, especially in the Ultra series. Future models, including the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, are expected to feature a Leica-tuned 200MP telephoto lens that offers features such as a large sensor, APO-certified optics, a floating lens group for macro and long-range focusing. This design shows that Xiaomi aims to replace multiple telephoto lenses with a single powerful module.

All in all, the 200MP telephoto cameras aren’t just a marketing gimmick, they’re a technical answer to the physical and optical limitations of smartphones, and a real upgrade to Xiaomi’s flagship series.