Xiaomi 12 Ultra might ship with Sony's yet-to-be released image sensor

xiaomi 12
(Image credit: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi is expected to introduce yet another flagship phone soon. This upcoming phone is rumoured to be a part of the Xiaomi 12 line-up and is rumoured to be known as Xiaomi 12 Ultra.

While some reports hint that this phone might carry a different moniker, the fact that it will be a camera-centric phone – is a certainty. Now a leak pertaining to the camera sensor that is expected to be used in this phone spills some beans about its prowess.

According to a report by GizmoChina that cites a known tipster Digital Chat Station, the sensor that will be used in the Xiaomi 12 Ultra will be Sony’s IMX 989. The tipster states that this will be a 50MP sensor and will be a 1-inch sensor. He has also hinted that this sensor will debut along with the Xiaomi 12 Ultra.

Sony IMX989

(Image credit: Digitl Chat Station / GizmoChina)

Leaked renders of the smartphone have hinted that it might come with a massive rear camera module housing four different camera sensors in all. Apart from the 50MP IMX 989, the camera module might sport a 48MP sensor with ultrawide and telephoto lens each. While the fourth sensor might add more zoom capabilities to the module.

If the previous reports are to be believed, the Xiaomi 12 Ultra is expected to launch around May. It might also be the first device to ship with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chipset with a combination of up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage.

It might be a rather large phone thanks to the 6.73-inch E5 AMOLED panel and is expected to ship with a 4900 mAh battery with 120W fast charging support.

Massive camera sensors are soon going to be a reality 

While the Xiaomi 12 Ultra could soon be a widely recognized name thanks to the brand visibility and the device’s impressive specifications, however, the Sharp Aquos R6 and the Xperia Pro-I from Sony were the phones to get a 1-inch sensor.

Unfortunately, both Sony and Sharp’s market size is fairly limited thus these phones were out of reach of most. The Xiaomi 12 Ultra, on the other hand, might be introduced soon in China first followed by its introduction to the global audience.

Apart from this, we’ve heard rumblings about Motorola’s upcoming phone Moto Frontier or Moto Edge 30 Ultra which is said to come with a whopping 200MP camera sensor from Samsung.

That being said, the image quality doesn’t really depend on the number of pixels attached to the sensor, but on the lighting conditions as well as image processing. Hence, making a purchase decision purely based on the specifications isn’t always a good idea. 

Jitendra Soni

Jitendra has been working in the Internet Industry for the last 7 years now and has written about a wide range of topics including gadgets, smartphones, reviews, games, software, apps, deep tech, AI, and consumer electronics.