XiaoMi to launch first phone with 108 megapixel camera (not the Mix alpha) along with a new watch and television

[williamcll]

It will be called the Mi note 10 on international models and CC9 each with a pro version, the TV will be a lot similar to the Honor TV that Linus reviewed earlier but with better hardware.

Quote

The smartphone world never sees a slowdown on releases, as we simply move on from one hyped smartphone to the next. The constant pressure to innovate and differentiate leads to shorter product cycles and more frequent releases, which allows consumers to experience newer technologies quicker. Xiaomi has now confirmed that its next smartphone is the Mi CC9 Pro, confirmed to be coming with a 108MP camera, penta-rear camera setup with quad-LED flash and 5X optical zoom, and will be announced on November 5 alongside the Mi TV 5 series and

Mi Watch.

Previously, we had reported how Xiaomi was working on four smartphones with a 108MP rear camera setup. One of these smartphones was released in the form of the Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha. Now, Xiaomi is gearing up to launch its second 108MP camera smartphone in the form of the Mi CC9 Pro, as revealed in the official teaser of the device. In the teaser, we can spot that the Mi CC9 Pro will come with five rear cameras, of which the primary camera will be the 108MP Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor. We can also spot the words “5X Optical” printed on the side, which ties into our previous report of Xiaomi working on a smartphone with a 5x telephoto camera and 50x digital zoom. Interestingly, the phone also has quad LEDs for flash, in case you use your phone’s LED flash for clicking photos in poorer lighting conditions.

Xiaomi is also teasing a new smartwatch, which is expected to be called the Mi Watch. Unlike the Mi Band 4 and releases from Amazfit, the Mi Watch is expected to be a true smartwatch, and not just be a smart bracelet with a large display. The teaser suggests that the Mi Watch will have a design similar to that of the Apple Watch, complete with a crown button on the side.

Xiaomi is also preparing to launch a new TV lineup, teasing the new Xiaomi Mi TV 5 series.

The new Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro, Mi Watch and Mi TV 5 series will be announced on November 5, 2019, at an event in China. It remains to be seen if the devices will make their way outside of China before the new year.

Source: https://www.weibo.com/2202387347/IdytrtLfn?from=page_1006062202387347_profile

https://www.xda-developers.com/xiaomi-mi-cc9-pro-108mp-camera-5x-optical-zoom-watch-tv-november-5-china-launch/

https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_cc9_pro_shines_on_tenaa_will_arrive_as_mi_note_10_outside_china-news-39848.php

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Xiaomi-Mi-Note-10-and-Mi-Note-10-Pro-confirmed-by-regulator-certifications-expect-premium-hardware-for-half-the-price-of-a-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-10.440364.0.html

 

Thoughts: The naming for this phone is rather odd since there hasn't been a note series on the mainstream Mi line in years. Running google camera on this would really be out of the world.

[emosun]

I think I would opt for a 5 mp camera that had a lens on it over a 108 mp cellphone still but they gotta do something to sell these phones i suppose

[vanished]

The most disappointing thing about zoom cams is they're always a lower tier than the main cam.  I want to see this amazing new sensor paired with a 5x optical lens, but I suspect if's physically impossible within the body of a phone.

[slippers_]

33 minutes ago, emosun said:

I think I would opt for a 5 mp camera that had a lens on it over a 108 mp cellphone still but they gotta do something to sell these phones i suppose

yeah but bigger number is better, literally always, dont @ me /s

[williamcll]

14 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

The most disappointing thing about zoom cams is they're always a lower tier than the main cam.  I want to see this amazing new sensor paired with a 5x optical lens, but I suspect if's physically impossible within the body of a phone.

it's a 50X hybrid zoom, a bit clearer than the ones on the oppo and Huawei counterpart.

[vanished]

Just now, williamcll said:

it's a 50X hybrid zoom, a bit clearer than the ones on the oppo and Huawei counterpart.

I really wish companies would stop quoting "digital zoom" as if it's even a thing.  That's just marketing speak for cropping in post, and the number is completely arbitrary, they could have made it 100 or 1000x by just setting that limit in software, it's meaningless.

[RejZoR]

Yeah, well, if you have a huge image, you can zoom and still get a 16Mpix photo out of it. Without any real loss of quality. This ain't digital zoom as we had on phones 15 years ago where you had 1Mpix camera and digital zoom turned it into a favicon sized image...

[paddy-stone]

I admit to being a Xiaomi fanboy. They make some decent stuff... I just wish I could get the TVs they make too, but importing to the UK would make the cost of the TV too much.

I'm still loving my pocofone at the moment, but I am still looking to upgrade if the right phone comes along.

[Mihle]

5 hours ago, RejZoR said:

Yeah, well, if you have a huge image, you can zoom and still get a 16Mpix photo out of it. Without any real loss of quality. This ain't digital zoom as we had on phones 15 years ago where you had 1Mpix camera and digital zoom turned it into a favicon sized image...

But in phones like this one, you don't actually get 108 true MP photos. The limit of the quality of the glass have been crossed a while ago. The extra megapixels is used for noise reduction algorithms and stuff.

 

At least that's what I have been told.

[cj09beira]

can we get a single main camera with optical zoom, i dont care how you guys fit it inside, hell why not do like in the past and have the camera part be on the edge and rotate, or have a camera bump, while you are at it reduce the bump by having a good battery, maybe even one that doens't die in 2 years(or give us open able backplate)

 

7 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

The most disappointing thing about zoom cams is they're always a lower tier than the main cam.  I want to see this amazing new sensor paired with a 5x optical lens, but I suspect if's physically impossible within the body of a phone.

they did it in the past if they wanted to they can do it, like for example having the camera lens parallel to the phones back and then have a simple mirror at the end

[D13H4RD]

Before anyone says it.

 

No, this does not mean you have a mini GFX100. Not even remotely close.

 

That 108MP is pixel-binned and is designed to work in conjunction with computational hooplah to control read noise and other deficiencies that come along with CMOS sensors, specifically smol ones.

[RejZoR]

2 hours ago, Mihle said:

But in phones like this one, you don't actually get 108 true MP photos. The limit of the quality of the glass have been crossed a while ago. The extra megapixels is used for noise reduction algorithms and stuff.

 

At least that's what I have been told.

Well, it makes sense. If you capture massive photo and downscale it to some more reasonable resolution, you'll create great quality photo because you're condensing more details into less, which usually eliminates noise and artefacts.

[Orangeator]

I'm just curious, with using google photo app, would this take better images then an iPhone 11 and the Google Pixel 4?

[dizmo]

This phone is also rumored to have a massive battery, if it supports the bands I need I might consider getting one. IIRC it's supposed to come with an SD730 though, so it all comes down to price. Then again I have no idea what their UI is like...

9 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

The most disappointing thing about zoom cams is they're always a lower tier than the main cam.  I want to see this amazing new sensor paired with a 5x optical lens, but I suspect if's physically impossible within the body of a phone.

I think they just realize that people won't use the zoom as much as the standard lens. Which should just prove to them that zoom is second rate, (well, third after ultra wide) and they should stick with other options. Samsung is iirc making a periscope zoom camera for a future phone (S11? Note11?), so that'd be pretty interesting. It will of course come ot the A series first.

1 hour ago, cj09beira said:

can we get a single main camera with optical zoom, i dont care how you guys fit it inside, hell why not do like in the past and have the camera part be on the edge and rotate, or have a camera bump, while you are at it reduce the bump by having a good battery, maybe even one that doens't die in 2 years(or give us open able backplate)

 

they did it in the past if they wanted to they can do it, like for example having the camera lens parallel to the phones back and then have a simple mirror at the end

Kind of like the Panasonic phone of yester-year? I was always hoping they'd make an updated model, but I guess it never really took off.

I don't see a huge advantage to a back that opens, even sealed ones can have their batteries replaced.

[vanished]

16 minutes ago, dizmo said:

I think they just realize that people won't use the zoom as much as the standard lens. Which should just prove to them that zoom is second rate, (well, third after ultra wide) and they should stick with other options. Samsung is iirc making a periscope zoom camera for a future phone (S11? Note11?), so that'd be pretty interesting. It will of course come to the A series first.

Well, certainly for the moment if you want a lot of zoom you'll get massively better results with a pro camera and a real lens that can do 7x or 8x optically and at 24+ MP, but improvements never stop and the better they can make phone cameras the better.  I think zoom is something people use relatively often, it's just that if they weren't already considering a pro camera, they weren't going to buy it just for the zoom ability either so they stick with phones despite the fact it's usually crap.  IMO it's definitely way more useful than a wide angle camera.  The main cam on my phone is approx. like the 18mm on our D7200 (so that's 27 mm full frame equiv.), and while I often zoom all the way to 140 mm, I don't actually recall ever thinking "wow I wish I could go wider".  Maybe it's happened a handful of times and I forgot but it really just doesn't come up that often.  I don't know what people could possibly be doing to want one that badly, especially since - just like zooms - they are often an inferior sensor compared to the main cam.

[krakkpott]

So:

 

Mi CC9e = Mi A3

Mi CC9 = Mi 9 Lite

Mi CC9 Pro = Mi Note 10

 

Wonder why don't they just got for CC9 branding internationally...

[D13H4RD]

6 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

Well, certainly for the moment if you want a lot of zoom you'll get massively better results with a pro camera and a real lens that can do 7x or 8x optically and at 24+ MP, but improvements never stop and the better they can make phone cameras the better. 

Actually, if you're after a ton of zoom, you're better off getting a 70-200/150-600/100-400/200-500/200-600/400/600 dedicated telephoto as they'll come with less compromises versus something like a 24-200 or something similar. 

 

The higher your zoom range, the more your IQ will generally suffer in some way. Superzooms have their place but if you're after outright quality, you're probably better off with a dedicated telephoto if you can stomach the weight and the cost. 

 

(Side note: Not a fan of the term "Pro camera". Prefer just calling them high-end cameras oriented for professional workflow) 

[vanished]

1 minute ago, D13H4RD said:

Actually, if you're after a ton of zoom, you're better off getting a 70-200/150-600/100-400/200-500/200-600/400/600 dedicated telephoto as they'll come with less compromises versus something like a 24-200 or something similar.

 

The higher your zoom range, the more your IQ will generally suffer in some way. Superzooms have their place but if you're after outright quality, you're probably better off with a dedicated telephoto if you can stomach the weight and the cost. 

Yeah I know, that's what I'm referring to

1 minute ago, D13H4RD said:

(Side note: Not a fan of the term "Pro camera". Prefer just calling them high-end cameras oriented for professional workflow) 

Well traditionally I've just said DSLR but now that there's a good number of high quality professional mirrorless we need a new term and I think "high end camera oriented for a professional workflow" is a bit wordy

[D13H4RD]

1 hour ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

Yeah I know, that's what I'm referring to

I'm just not big on referring to focal lengths by "X zoom". Just kinda prefer saying out the actual focal length equivalent to 35mm.

 

1 hour ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

Well traditionally I've just said DSLR but now that there's a good number of high quality professional mirrorless we need a new term and I think "high end camera oriented for a professional workflow" is a bit wordy

Interchangeable lens camera or ILC

 

That's your new term

[vanished]

12 minutes ago, D13H4RD said:

I'm just not big on referring to focal lengths by "X zoom". Just kinda prefer saying out the actual focal length equivalent to 35mm.

Ah right well that definitely is more absolute "x zoom" implies a multiple of some base level which has to be known and varies by lens and phone, it's just easy in this context for comparison.  If we wanna talk standards though, my actual preference is to switch to FOV.  Giving a mm in 35 mm equivalent to me seems very dated and unintuitive for two reasons: a) it's a pain to have to rate everything in 35 mm equivalent and convert back and forth between that and the true focal length by using the crop factor, b) stating zoom in mm is not intuitive at all (other things like sensor size use mm also and that can be confusing) and c) without some photography experience, you have nothing for reference.  Is 200 a lot?  A little?  Who knows.  90°?  Well, everyone can sorta picture that.

 

I do get why they do it.  For one reason, it's just always been done that way and it's hard to switch, and for another, mm focal length is a property of the lens regardless of what camera you stick it on, where as FOV is a result of lens + camera, but I maintain that it's more convenient and intuitive.  It allows easily comparing the actual result of many different types of gear, as well as intuitively imagining how "close" you are.

Quote

Interchangeable lens camera or ILC

 

That's your new term

I could get behind that I suppose.  Did you juts make that up or is it something of a standard?  I've not really ever seen it used tbh.

[D13H4RD]

2 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

If we wanna talk standards though, my actual preference is to switch to FOV.  Giving a mm in 35 mm equivalent to me seems very dated and unintuitive for two reasons: a) it's a pain to have to rate everything in 35 mm equivalent and convert back and forth between that and the true focal length by using the crop factor, b) stating zoom in mm is not intuitive at all (other things like sensor size use mm also and that can be confusing) and c) without some photography experience, you have nothing for reference.  Is 200 a lot?  A little?  Who knows.  90°?  Well, everyone can sorta picture that.

 

2 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

I do get why they do it.  For one reason, it's just always been done that way and it's hard to switch, and for another, mm focal length is a property of the lens regardless of what camera you stick it on, where as FOV is a result of lens + camera, but I maintain that it's more convenient and intuitive.  It allows easily comparing the actual result of many different types of gear, as well as intuitively imagining how "close" you are.

Pretty much hit the nail on the head there. It's been done for such a long time to the point where changing how to fundamentally describe the focal length in terms of equivalent FoV is gonna be really difficult to get used to. 

 

2 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

I could get behind that I suppose.  Did you juts make that up or is it something of a standard?  I've not really ever seen it used tbh.

Nah, that's the actual term for DSLRs and mirrorless ILCs together as they're cameras with an interchangeable lens design, hence interchangeable lens camera. 

 

It just so happens that people call them DSLRs because that just happens to be the most common form of ILC in use. 

[LAwLz]

DXOMark has tested this phone, and it gets a score of 130 for photos, and 102 for video (overall score of 121). That puts it as a tie for the best phone camera along with the Huawei Mate 30 Pro.

https://www.dxomark.com/xiaomi-mi-cc9-pro-premium-edition-camera-review/

 

I am not a fan of DXOMark but I guess some are so here are some other scores for comparison:

Huawei Mate 30 Pro - 121

Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium - 121

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ - 117

OnePlus 7 Pro - 114

Google Pixel 4 - 112

Apple iPhone XS Max - 106

Asus ZenFone 6 - 104

[williamcll]

1 hour ago, LAwLz said:

DXOMark has tested this phone, and it gets a score of 130 for photos, and 102 for video (overall score of 121). That puts it as a tie for the best phone camera along with the Huawei Mate 30 Pro.

https://www.dxomark.com/xiaomi-mi-cc9-pro-premium-edition-camera-review/

 

I am not a fan of DXOMark but I guess some are so here are some other scores for comparison:

Huawei Mate 30 Pro - 121

Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium - 121

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ - 117

OnePlus 7 Pro - 114

Google Pixel 4 - 112

Apple iPhone XS Max - 106

Asus ZenFone 6 - 104

You can always wait for the reviews that are coming out the coming weeks.

[Mysticode]

FYI it can do native 108MP, but the quality is just "ok". No real purpose in doing it when you can use the pixel binning and get a higher quality photo:

 

[vanished]

16 minutes ago, Mysticode said:

FYI it can do native 108MP, but the quality is just "ok". No real purpose in doing it when you can use the pixel binning and get a higher quality photo:

Yeah it's a quad bayer so not intended to ever really be used in 108 MP mode, and I'd be surprised if doing so could even achieve any measurable improvement in detail.