Powered by the latest Xiaomi HyperOS 2, the Xiaomi 15 Series introduces a comprehensive, upgraded system experience, optimising performance, connectivity, and AI capabilities for a seamless next-generation mobile experience. 

Starting from the Xiaomi 12 Series, to Xiaomi 13 Series, Xiaomi 14 Series, the Xiaomi ultimate professional imagery smartphone series have been a regular feature on my TGH Photography and Travel website, in-sync with my photography (both camera and smartphone/mobile phone photography) and content creation, continuing today with the Xiaomi 15 Series announcement.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Pinnacle Photography, Incredible Visuals

Xiaomi 15 Ultra, co-engineered with Leica, gives users a pinnacle photography experience, producing incredible visuals. It draws inspiration from classic camera design, combining supreme build quality with a sense of refined sophistication. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra comes in three captivating finishes – Black, White and Silver Chrome – each variant exudes a unique blend of strength and elegance. 

The Silver Chrome model seamlessly blends aerospace-grade glass fibre and PU leather, this further enhances material strength. Its PU leather finish and retro image stitching further elevate the classic aesthetic of this iconic camera – a design that defined a generation.

Packed with a stunning WQHD+ 6.73-inch AMOLED display, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra delivers a crystal-clear resolution of 3200 x 1400 and an impressive pixel display of 522 ppi. It has an impressive 3200 nits multi-scenario peak brightness, this display ensures crystal-clear visuals in any lighting condition, from bright sunlight to dim environments. The 1Hz Always-active Display keeps essential information like time, date, and notifications visible at a glance, combining convenience with efficiency. 

For enhanced security and convenience, Xiaomi 15 Ultra introduces an upgraded ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, which enables faster and more reliable unlocking, even with wet or dirty fingers, and performs exceptionally well in low-light conditions.

Durability is at the core of Xiaomi 15 Ultra design, incorporating the advanced Xiaomi Guardian Structure, which includes the latest Xiaomi Shield Glass 2.0 for up to 16x better drop resistance. The high-strength CNC-crafted aluminium frame ensures a lightweight yet robust build, while Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protects the camera decoration with improved resistance to drops and scratches. 

Xiaomi 15 Ultra Cameras – Xiaomi x Leica 

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra smartphone camera system is designed for photographers and creative professionals, who aspire to elevate their mobile photography. It is equipped with all focal lengths ranging from 14mm to 200mm optical-level zoom. Its pinnacle optical design features a main camera equipped with Leica Summilux lenses and an 8P aspherical high-transmittance lens, enhanced with dual anti-reflection (AR) coating to bring users a pure optical performance. 

The industry-leading 23mm Leica 1-inch main camera, is the heart of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra camera system. It is equipped with a 50MP Sony LYT-900 image sensor for exceptional clarity and detail. Paired with a Leica Summilux optical lens, it features a large f/1.63 aperture, variable focal lengths of 23mm, 28mm, and 35mm, and an impressive 14EV high dynamic range. All these elements together ensure stunning performance in low-light and night time scenarios, capturing vivid and true-to-light images.

For portrait and street photography, a 70mm Leica floating telephoto camera operates at the golden focal length, delivering natural and flattering shots. It’s large sensor also excels in macro photography, allowing users to capture intricate details from as close as 10cm. 

An industry-leading 100mm Leica 200MP ultra telephoto camera makes it easy to capture shots of distant objects with a focal length of 100mm, extendable to 200mm using in-sensor zoom technology. The 1/1.4” large sensor, combined with a f/2.6 aperture, captures 136% more light than Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Completing the quad camera system is the 14mm Leica ultra-wide camera, offering expansive perspectives for capturing breathtaking landscapes and group shots.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra Videography

For the videographers, filmmakers and vlogging content creators, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is set to push the boundaries of videography standards, allowing users to enjoy exceptional cinematic slow-motion videography with both main and periscope telephoto cameras capable of shooting 4K video at 120fps. 

Equipped with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS), the main camera effectively minimises shake, ensuring videos maintain a professional quality, even in challenging environments. 

Beyond its impressive video capabilities, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra supports Dolby Vision video recording at 4K 60fps and 10-bit Log video recording across all focal lengths. As Android’s first ACES Product Partner, it further enhances professional videography, ensuring industry-grade colour accuracy and cinematic-quality footage. 

There is also a 4-Mic array that offers immersive audio recording with omni-directional, forward, rear, and trajectory recording modes available. These features provide users with the tools necessary for high-quality editing and colour grading, facilitating a more creative approach to video production.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra Photography Kit Legend Edition

For the photography enthusiasts, this would be of great interest to you, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra Photography Kit Legend Edition. Launched alongside the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, it’s classically styled, inspired by the timeless design of cameras, featuring a signature decorative ring, a custom-designed UI under camera’s Fastshot mode, detachable thumb support and shutter buttons, a multi-functional 67mm filter adapter ring, and an integrated 2000mAh battery for extended usability.

Xiaomi 15: All-round flagship smartphone excellence in a compact form

The Xiaomi 15 is an all-round flagship smartphone, crafted for optimal convenience and portability. It comes in four colours – Black, White, and Green pure colour models, plus Liquid Silver, which boasts attractive shimmering curves from heat-bent glass. The Xiaomi 15 features an integrated volcano-shaped design, a fluid design that feels solid and durable, with a micro-curved aluminium frame offering up to 33% improvement in strength. It has an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 94%, and ultra-thin bezels of only 1.38mm, that are made possible with the latest LIPO technology, ensuring precise moulding between body and frame.

Xiaomi 15 Cameras

The Xiaomi 15 smartphone boasts a versatile triple-camera system that delivers exceptional image quality. They span extended focal lengths from 14mm to 120mm, providing remarkable clarity and versatility for every shot. 

The main camera of Xiaomi 15, a Leica Summilux optical lens, incorporating a 7P aspherical high-transmittance with anti-glare coating a large f/1.62 aperture for superior light capture and exceptional clarity in various lighting conditions. Equipped with the Light Fusion 900 high dynamic sensor, delivering a professional grade photography experience across three key focal lengths: 23mm, 28mm, and 35mm. 

For detailed telephoto shots, Xiaomi 15 features a Leica 60mm floating telephoto camera, utilising a 50MP sensor, capable of capturing intricate details from afar and delivering stunning macro shots at distances as close as 10cm. Additionally, the Leica 14mm ultra-wide camera, with a 50MP resolution and a large f/2.2 aperture, unlocks new creative possibilities, enabling breathtaking wide-angle photography.

Xiaomi 15 is designed for speed and precision, with the Fastshot mode enabling ultra-fast street photography with an impressive capture speed of just 0.6s across all focal lengths. Xiaomi Master Videography empowers users with studio-quality video capabilities, with the main camera supporting 8K recording at 30fps and Dolby Vision video at 4K 60fps across all focal lengths. There is also a 4-Mic array that enhances the experience by delivering immersive, spatial audio recording for a truly cinematic touch.

The Xiaomi 15 incorporates a 6.36-inch CrystalRes AMOLED (2670 x 1200) display with a pixel display of 460 ppi. It boasts an impressive 3200 nits multi-scenario peak brightness that covers 25% APL (Average Picture Level) to deliver a clear, vivid viewing experience in the brightest of conditions. 

Leveraging a Xiaomi-custom M9 display panel, this screen gives a 10% reduction in power consumption, resulting in more colourful and vibrant visuals, enabling users to enjoy content comfortably while enhancing overall efficiency. Additionally, the Xiaomi 15 is TÜV Rheinland certified for Low Blue Light (Hardware Solution), Flickr-Free and Circadian Friendly, featuring DC dimming across all brightness levels to ensure a comfortable viewing experience even during extended use.

Xiaomi 15 Series High-Performance Hardware

Xiaomi 15 Series high-performance hardware enhances your mobile user experience by integrating a next-generation processor platform with advanced cooling technology and cutting-edge battery optimisations. 

Powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra and Xiaomi 15 are both powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, delivering an impressive 45% CPU performance boost and a 52% reduction in power consumption, along with a remarkable 44% GPU performance boost and a 46% power consumption decrease, compared to the previous generations.

Xiaomi IceLoop cooling system

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra and Xiaomi 15 are both with Xiaomi IceLoop cooling system, achieving an unmatched level of smoothness in challenging tasks such as video recording, computational photography, real-time AI, and intensive gaming. Based on an innovative wing structure design, the cooling array ensures improved contact with the frame, effectively reducing operating temperatures. 

Xiaomi Surge Battery Management 

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra and Xiaomi 15 both utilise the Xiaomi Surge Battery Management System, to ensure extended performance throughout the day and beyond. 

Xiaomi 15 Ultra feutres a 5410mAh (typ) Xiaomi Surge Battery with ultra-high energy density, thanks to a 10% silicon carbide (SiC) content level, offering a larger capacity within the same dimensions and weight. Xiaomi 15 Ultra supports HyperCharge at 90W, along with fast 80W wireless HyperCharge charging. As for the Xiaomi 15, it is equipped with a 5240mAh (typ) Xiaomi Surge Battery, supporting 90W HyperCharge and 50W wireless HyperCharge.

The Xiaomi 15 Series utilises the latest LPDDR5X system memory, with Xiaomi 15 featuring UFS 4.0 storage technology, while the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is equipped with UFS 4.1 storage technology. 

Xiaomi 15 Ultra is available in 16GB+512GB and 16GB+1TB configurations.

Xiaomi 15 is available in both 12GB+256GB and 12GB+512GB models.

Xiaomi HyperOS 2

The Xiaomi 15 Series is powered by the latest Xiaomi HyperOS 2, showcasing three key technological innovations: Xiaomi HyperCore, Xiaomi HyperConnect, and Xiaomi HyperAI. These innovations give users and enhanced mobile experience in functionality, system fluidity, cross-platform connectivity, security, privacy, and access to next-generation AI interactions and AI-driven productivity tools.

In a collaboration between Google and Xiaomi, Google Gemini can now find and take actions across Xiaomi apps, giving users direct access to Xiaomi Notes, Xiaomi Calendar, and Xiaomi Clock in Gemini for the first time.

Xiaomi HyperAI

Xiaomi HyperAI enhances user productivity and creativity with a suite of powerful AI tools, with features such as AI Writing and AI Speech Recognition, along with several other tools designed to boost efficiency. There is AI Creativity Assistant that helps users unlock their full creative potential, offering next-generation photographic and videography tools. These tools include AI Image Enhancement, AI Image Expansion, AI Eraser Pro, AI Reflection Removal, AI Magic Sky, and AI Film, enabling users to achieve professional-quality results swiftly and effortlessly.

Xiaomi HyperCore 

Xiaomi HyperCore Technology, a self-developed technology platform that guarantees optimal system fluidity and performance, system-level application upgrades and more. They are the foundational core of Xiaomi HyperOS 2.

Xiaomi HyperCore boasts a new lock screen design with updated templates and styles that express cinematic elements from the film world. With new motion effects take advantage of an improved graphics subsystem, an all-new home screen design gives users a more seamless, elegant experience. 

Xiaomi HyperConnect

Xiaomi HyperConnect breaks down the barriers between devices, platforms, and ecosystems, including tablets and iOS/macOS platforms. New features such as Cross-device Camera allows users to access another device’s camera while retaining the exceptional image processing capability of Xiaomi 15 Series. Users can also use Combined Cameras to combine and display video feeds from multiple devices – an advantage when shooting live events, lectures or tutorial videos.

Pricing and Availability

The Xiaomi 15 will be available ion four colour options: Black, White, Green and Liquid Silver. 

For the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, it will be available in three colour options: Black, White and Silver Chrome. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra Photography Kit Legend Edition is sold separately.

Xiaomi 15 Series Promotion

From 3rd March to 23rd March 2025, consumers will receive perks worth up to SGD$1149 for the Xiaomi 15 Series, including the Photography Kit Legend Edition (only for Xiaomi 15 Ultra) and Redmi Pad SE (6 + 128GB).

Other perks include

• 24-month warranty
• One-time airport VIP exclusive lounge
• Replacement loan phone
• SGD$10 Grab voucher
• 3 months YouTube Premium Access
• 6 months free damaged screen replacement 
• 1 free labour fee within 1 year
• VIP customer service hotline
• 4 months of Spotify Premium 
• 3 months access for Gemini Advanced

On top of that, consumers who place their orders within the pre-order (3rd to 7th March) can get another SGD$50 discount. For more information, please visit https://www.mi.com/sg/support/policy/xiaomi15seriesvip 

Xiaomi x Starhub 

Starhub is the exclusive Xiaomi 15 Ultra telecommunications channel in Singapore, offering attractive bundle packages to consumers with a $200 extra cash back with trade-in.

* Information courtesy of Xiaomi Singapore and APRW *

The post Xiaomi 15 Series – Pinnacle Photography appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

For photographers, as well as those into smartphone/mobile phone photography, this strategic partnership between Xiaomi and Leica that was formalised in 2022, they have both jointly revolutionised the mobile imaging industry. The Xiaomi 14 Series is more than just the flagship smartphone, it’s also the pinnacle of Xiaomi and Leica collaboration, incorporating Leica Summilux optics, showcasing the most advanced optical concepts and product designs, solidifying Xiaomi’s position as a global leader in mobile imaging innovation. 

As a photographer myself who is into mobile imaging with smartphone, I tested Leica’s mobile imaging technology previously. They are in a class of its own in the mobile imaging sector, a great complement to any photographer who wish to have a smartphone with powerful mobile imaging technology and quality. 

Xiaomi 14 Ultra – Lens to Legend

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra – Lens to Legend, this is the professional imagery flagship smartphone, unmatched performance with an innovative design. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra draws inspiration from traditional camera aesthetics, showcasing a distinctive circular camera module with streamlined flat back design. They come in two classic colours, Black and White.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra Engineering Marvels

Xiaomi 14 Ultra is engineered around the robust Xiaomi Guardian Structure, comprising of high-strength aluminium frame, Xiaomi nano-tech vegan leather, and Xiaomi Shield Glass. They are crafted from a single aluminium block, offering a remarkable 1.38x improved frame strength. The Xiaomi nano-tech vegan leather features a newly developed formula, resulting in a thinner and lighter finish with 6x improved wear resistance. The Xiaomi Shield Glass on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the innovative All Around Liquid Display, redefining display by achieving constant curvature on all sides and corners, seamlessly blending the visual appeal of a flat screen with the tactile feedback of a curved edge. The Xiaomi-custom C8 WQHD+ 6.73″ AMOLED display gives users an immersive visual experience, featuring a stunning WQHD+ (3200 x 1440) resolution, pixel density of 522 ppi, and variable 1-120Hz refresh rate, all backed by an impressive peak brightness of 3000 nits.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra Powerful Photography and Videography Capabilities 

For those who love photography and smartphone photography, Xiaomi 14 Ultra is equipped with a professional quad-camera configuration range of focal lengths spanning from 12mm to 120mm.

• Main camera: equipped with a f/1.63-f/4.0 steeples variable aperture, offering seamless exposure adjustments in diverse scenarios. It has an ultra-large 1-inch LYT-900 image sensor with a dynamic range of up to 14EV. This guarantees outstanding image quality even in challenging environments. 
• The other cameras completing the quad-camera setup are the Leica 75mm floating telephoto camera, the Leica 120mm periscope camera, and the Leica 12mm ultra-wide camera.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra leads the mobile imaging world with the 8K 30fps shooting support on all 4 cameras. Powered by Leica optics and a 50MP sensor, allowing it to capture unparalleled clarity in 8K videos, this would allow professional post-production editing. Its main camera supports 4K 120fps and is adaptable to 5x slow-motion effects. At 4K resolution, it offers full-range zooming at 60fps. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra also offers Dolby Vision®️ shooting at 4K 60fps and features stabilisation for smooth video capture. An additional microphone has been added to form a 4-Mic array, enabling both surround sound recording and directional sound recording.

You can also have a professional videography experience, with the new Movie mode that introduces cinematic industry practices such as the 2.39:1 aspect ratio and 180° shutter rule, delivering videos with an authentic cinematic look and motion blur. 

The all-new MasterCinema encodes HDR videos in 10-bit Rec.2020 to capture richer details, highlights and shadows, surpassing the previous 8-bit BT.709 standard, especially on HDR screens. Director mode offers professional-grade interface with advanced parameter controls and Log format recording for flexible post-production. Xiaomi 14 Ultra can be integrated with other Xiaomi devices as external monitors for an immersive production experience, including the new Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro 12.4.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra Photography Kit 

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra Photography Kit is designed for photography and videography enthusiasts, offering extended features in a dedicated grip and case. It includes a two-stage shutter button, a zoom lever, a customisable video recording button, and an additional custom dial. It also functions as an external charging battery bank, providing 1500mAh of battery life. This accessory is available for separate purchase.

Xiaomi 14

The Xiaomi 14 is designed as a compact size daily companion smartphone, measuring just 152.8mm x 71.5mm x 8.20mm. It has a gentle curved back panel, ensuring a comfortable and secure grip, allowing for extended periods of use. 

It has a minimalist aesthetic that is achieved by relocating the speaker to the display and the infra-red port to the camera deco, giving the Xiaomi 14 a clean look on the top and side frames. The ultra-thin bezel design utilises advanced FIAA technology to integrate panel circuits within the display, resulting in a slim 1.71mm bottom bezel for an immersive viewing experience. 

Xiaomi 14 Photography Capabilities 

The Xiaomi 14 is powered by a comprehensive 3 cameras configuration, providing a well-rounded photography experience, covering an extensive focal length from 14mm to 75mm. The Xiaomi 14 has been engineered with Leica Summilux optical lenses with an upgraded ƒ/1.6 aperture on the main camera, combined with the Light Fusion 900 image sensor and boasting up to 13.5 EV of dynamic range. Moreover, the resolution of the Leica 14mm ultra-wide camera has been upgraded to 50MP while also offering the highly acclaimed Leica 75mm floating telephoto lens, with a minimum focus distance of just 10cm. 

Xiaomi 14 Display

The Xiaomi 14 display features a striking 6.36″ CrystalRes AMOLED 1.5K (2670 x 1200) screen.

The screen pixel density has been enhanced to 460ppi, delivering more details than ever. With an

outstanding peak brightness of 3000 nits, colours are vibrant, and visuals remain clear even under direct sunlight. Additionally, its variable refresh rate, ranging from 1 to 120Hz, guarantees smooth and seamless viewing experience across various activities, including browsing, reading, and gaming.

Xiaomi Technology – Uncompromising hardware unlocking full performance potential

Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra are both powered by the leading Snapdragon®️ 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform, boasting an impressive 32% CPU performance boost and 34% power consumption decrease, along with a remarkable 34% GPU performance boost and 38% power consumption decrease, compared to the previous generation. Xiaomi 14 Series is equipped with Qualcomm FastConnect 7800, which brings Wi-Fi 7 with an impressive 320MHz capacity. Xiaomi 14 Ultra goes a step above with High Band Simultaneous (HBS) Multi-Link, ensuring the widest channel and lowest latency available, revolutionising high-speed multi-device connectivity.

Xiaomi IceLoop

The Xiaomi IceLoop cooling system offers an unparalleled level of smoothness under demanding scenarios such as video recording, computational photography, real-time AI, and intensive gaming. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra goes a step above with the new Xiaomi Dual-Channel IceLoop system, which introduces a dedicated 2nd thermal channel exclusively for the camera module for smoother photography and videography.

Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra battery and charging, they are both equipped with the Xiaomi Surge battery management system, guaranteeing extended performance throughout the day. Xiaomi 14 is powered by a 4610mAh battery supported by 90W HyperCharge and 50W wireless HyperCharge. Xiaomi 14 Ultra is powered by a larger 5000mAh battery with 90W HyperCharge along with the latest 80W wireless HyperCharge technology.

Xiaomi HyperOS – The future of Smart Ecosystem 

Xiaomi cutting edge Xiaomi HyperOS operating system powers the Xiaomi 14 Series. This is a culmination of 7 year of dedicated development by Xiaomi. This human-centric system is

designed for the “Human X Car X Home” smart ecosystem, focusing on four major goals:

Comprehensive Refactoring, Cross-Device Intelligent Connectivity, Proactive Intelligence, and

End-to-End Security. With Xiaomi HyperOS, Xiaomi 14 Series users may experience elevated system fluidity with advanced file and memory management capabilities, a revamped UI enriched by the graphics subsystem, seamless connectivity between devices, and comprehensive security and privacy features to ensure a safe, connected experience.

This human-centric system is designed for the “Human X Car X Home” smart ecosystem, focusing on four major goals: Comprehensive Refactoring, Cross-Device Intelligent Connectivity, Proactive Intelligence, and End-to-End Security. With Xiaomi HyperOS, Xiaomi 14 Series users may experience elevated system fluidity with advanced file and memory management capabilities, a revamped UI enriched by the graphics subsystem, seamless connectivity between devices, and comprehensive security and privacy features to ensure a safe, connected experience.

New integration with Google Photos

New integration with Google Photos will allow users to securely back up their photos and videos to Google Photos within the Xiaomi Gallery. Users will also be able to seamlessly view, edit, and share content backed up in Google Photos right from their Xiaomi Gallery. This functionality will be available on Xiaomi devices globally in Spring 2024.

Xiaomi 14 Series fully embraces AI technology

Xiaomi 14 Series fully embraces cutting-edge AI technology enabled by Xiaomi HyperOS to bring users a smarter life. Large AI models are integrated into various system applications, providing more streamlined and intelligent features. AI Subtitles enable real-time transcription of spoken content during video conferences. AI Album Search employs natural language processing, allowing users to locate specific images within their photo collections by describing what they are looking for. AI Portraits utilises advanced algorithms to create novel portrait compositions derived from pre-existing images. Additionally, AI Expansion facilitates realistic extensions of existing image content, providing new creative possibilities.

Xiaomi HyperMInd 

Proactive Intelligence is achieved through Xiaomi HyperMind, enabling devices to proactively

understand user needs and act accordingly. Xiaomi HyperMind utilises the four perceptual capabilities of devices – environment, vision, sound, and behaviour, to learn user preferences and automatically adapt devices to their needs. For instance, if a user habitually turns on the living room light upon unlocking their smart door lock, Xiaomi HyperMind will automatically illuminate the room after learning this pattern, after gaining user consent.

From “Smartphone x AIoT” to “Human x Car x Home” smart ecosystem

At the end of October last year, Xiaomi announced a comprehensive upgrade of its group strategy, transitioning from “Smartphone x AIoT” to “Human x Car x Home” smart ecosystem, with automobiles becoming a new and crucial component of Xiaomi’s strategic focus. With the global launch of Xiaomi 14 Series, new IoT devices, and the reveal of Xiaomi SU7, all driven and connected by Xiaomi HyperOS,

Xiaomi further establishes its leading role in technological innovation. The advancements in this portfolio underscores Xiaomi’s unwavering commitment to innovation and exceptional user experience

Pricing and Availability 

Xiaomi 14 is priced at SGD 999 (12GB + 256GB) and SGD 1,199 (12GB + 512GB).

Available in 3 colours – Black, White and Jade Green

Xiaomi 14 Ultra is priced at SGD 1,699 (16GB + 512GB)

Available in two colours – Black and White

The Xiaomi 14 Series can be purchased via Authorized Xiaomi Stores, partner stores and Shopee

(Xiaomi 14, Xiaomi 14 Ultra).

[Photos shot with Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 5G during Xiaomi media launch event in Singapore]

* Information courtesy of Xiaomi and APRW *

The post Xiaomi presents Xiaomi 14 Series with Next-Generation Leica Optics – Powered by Xiaomi HyperOS appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

For most smartphones coverage, I would usually publish them on my TGH Technology and Business portal/blog. However for the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is more than just a smartphone, this is a smartphone camera that fits perfectly here, on my TGH Photography and Travel portal/blog.

Xiaomi and Leica Collaboration

The latest result of Xiaomi and Leica’s collaboration in further advancing mobile imaging technology. Powered by a quad camera system with a 1-inch sensor anchoring the main camera, and a variable aperture. It has an ultra-grade WQHD+ display with excellent colour accuracy, along with premium flagship Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 performance, all packed in a classic design, Xiaomi offers all smartphone users an ultimate professional camera experience, in all capabilities.

A Shot Above with Leica Camera Ambassador, Adele Chan

Xiaomi collaborated with Leica Camera Ambassador, Adele Chan, to showcase Xiaomi 13 Ultra camera capabilities through a series of photos and sharing her experience during the local media preview session, part of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra launch campaign in Singapore. 

Shot and edited entirely on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, the series features Singapore’s beautiful landmarks, people and culture – with photos of popular local architecture, streets and more – encapsulating the theme “A Shot Above”. Follow Adele Chan on her Instagram, as well as Xiaomi Singapore’s Facebook page, to see her storytelling series.

Leica optics – To build the perfect Summicron Lens of Leica in mobile imaging 

Inherited from the optical concept of the Leica M series, the Leica optical system of Xiaomi 13 Ultra has the characteristics of compact size, large aperture, high imaging performance, reliability, and durability. The lens adopts an ultra high-order polynomial design, allowing the precision of design to reach a nanometer level, nearing the optical limit. Meanwhile, a multi-layer coating greatly reduces glare and ghosting, presenting stable performance in extremely cold and extremely hot environments.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra Quad Camera System

Xiaomi 13 Ultra is equipped with a quad camera system with Leica optical lens covering focal lengths ranging from: 

• 12mm (ultra-wide angle)
• 23mm (wide-angle), 75mm (telephoto)
• to the new 120mm (super-telephoto)
• as well as the extra 46mm and 240mm lengths through the In-Sensor-Zoom. 

Adding on the full degree of focal length flexibility, the smartphone’s professional camera setting offers variable aperture. 

Three of Xiaomi 13 Ultra’s cameras feature an aperture wider than ƒ/2.0, which brings in more light and a soft, shallow depth of field, and allows for shorter shutter times, thus quicker capturing of natural and unmissable moments.

Flaunting an ultra-large 1-inch IMX989 sensor and a new physical two-stop aperture switching between ƒ/1.9 and ƒ/4.0, the main camera offers content creators more freedom in customising the exposures based on different scenarios.

Inspired by the “hyperfocal distance” shooting method commonly used by street photographers, Xiaomi 13 Ultra also brings a new Fast Shot mode that allows taking focus-free snapshots by setting the focus point manually, and later starting and capturing the moment in just 0.8s.

Pro colour restoration capability powered end-to-end from capture to presentation

Xiaomi 13 Ultra has fully optimised the RAW workflow, and more algorithms are migrated to the RAW domain to maximise the dynamic range, details, and texture of the image, thus significantly improving imaging quality. The main camera supports 50MP RAW, bringing a higher imaging resolution, while providing multi-frame 14-bit UltraRAW, which takes the data directly from the computing pipeline, bringing better resolution and high dynamic range. Camera profiles will be created by Adobe, providing a better starting point for post-production.

In terms of display, Xiaomi 13 Ultra sports a 6.73″ pro-grade WQHD+ display with excellent colour accuracy and up to 2600 nits peak brightness. This display is also calibrated according to the new CIE 2015 colorimetry, which supports perfect automatic colour management to ensure accurate and consistent colour presentation across different displays from Xiaomi devices released recently.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra also supports end-to-end experience supported by Dolby Vision®, capturing with vivid colours, astonishing contrast and brightness, along with a panoramic view of rich details in dark and bright areas, while offering users the opportunity to share their own creative content in UGC communities that support Dolby Vision®.

Ultra-fast experience with self-developed heat dissipation technology and Xiaomi Surge Battery Management System

As the annual masterpiece of the Xiaomi Ultra product line, Xiaomi 13 Ultra has the most powerful hardware configuration available, along with a suite of new innovative technologies for a top-notch flagship experience.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra pays tribute to the classic look of Leica’s M camera series with its circular camera module, unibody metal frame and leather texture finish. Weighing 227g (1) and with the unibody metal frame giving more resilience for bending than the previous generation, the smartphone design provides foundation for the entire structure and a more secure grip. Wrapped in a second-generation antibacterial nanotech silicone leather, the back panel of Xiaomi 13 Ultra not only resists fingerprints and smudges, but also is antibacterial and anti-yellowing. Its bacterial inhibition rate can reach as high as 99%, perfect for nearly any environment.(2)

Equipped with the latest Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 flagship processor, which adopts 4nm process technology, Xiaomi 13 Ultra brings superior performance and energy consumption. The smartphone supports RAM up to 16GB LPDDR5x and UFS4.0 storage of up to 1 TB, as well as FBO (File Based Optimization). Xiaomi 13 Ultra also features a USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface, achieving DisplayPort video output up to 4K 60Hz.

Thanks to Xiaomi’s self-developed Loop LiquidCool technology, the first landing of an aerospace-grade large toroidal cooling system on a smartphone, Xiaomi 13 Ultra has achieved “one-way conduction” of the internal circulation through the “vapor-liquid separation” structure. This ensures equivalent thermal conductivity more than three times that of traditional VCs, and heat dissipation capacity exceeds 10W. With this powerful and advanced technology, Xiaomi 13 Ultra is capable of supporting stable 4K 60fps video recording without frame rate drop due to temperature.(3)

By pairing a Xiaomi Surge P2 Charging Chip and Xiaomi Surge G1 Battery Management Chip with a 5,000mAh battery, Xiaomi 13 Ultra utilizes a series of battery health functions and is able to estimate the battery life at extremely granular levels. Xiaomi 13 Ultra also adds a new Hibernation mode, which will be automatically triggered when the battery is low, limiting background activities and offering up to 60 minutes of additional standby.(4)

A very short hands on with the Xiaomi 13 Ultra 

At the Xiaomi 13 Ultra media launch event in Singapore, I had the opportunity to get a very short hands on with the  Xiaomi 13 Ultra, testing the quad camera system, user interface and the pro function of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

While my hands on session was very short, it sparked a joy and excitement inside me that I haven’t really experienced in my mobile/smartphone photography for a period of time. I remembered when Leica first entered into mobile/smartphone photography industry when I reviewed the Huawei P9 and Huawei P10 Plus that brought me great joy and fun in mobile/smartphone photography. 

The technology and mobile/smartphone photography developments over the years, powered by Xiaomi and Leica collaboration, presented photographers a new joy and era, “A Shot Above” for mobile/smartphone photography in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

Possibly a smartphone camera that might be on par with a compact digital camera, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is definitely a very exciting prospect and a perfect complement to photographers with their cameras and lenses setup, whether it’s for leisure, serious enthusiast or professional photographer.

Pricing and Availability

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra will be available in Singapore for pre-orders from 24th to 30th June 2023. It’s available in 2 colours – Black and Olive Green. 

Xiaomi 13 Ultra is priced at SGD$1,899, and can be purchased via Authorised Xiaomi Stores and partner stores.

During the pre-order period, keen buyers will get a free Xiaomi 50W Wireless Charging Stand worth SGD 79 and a Xiaomi 13 Ultra Professional Photography Set worth SGD 249. Other gifts include a 100GB cloud storage on Google One for 6 months, 1+1 years of extended warranty on the new premium device and 3 months of access to Youtube Premium. 

Deals are on a first-come, first-serve basis, while stocks last.

Notes:

1. Actual measurements between individual products may vary. All specifications are subject to the actual product.
2. Data retrieved from SGS test report.
3. Data from Xiaomi Internal Labs.
4. Data from Xiaomi Internal Labs. Actual time may vary depending on network environment, usage patterns and other factors.

* Information and pictures courtesy of Xiaomi and APRW *

The post Xiaomi 13 Ultra – A Shot Above for Mobile Photography appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

The entire Xiaomi 12S series features different imaging systems jointly developed by Xiaomi and Leica, containing Leica Summicron lenses, and they support Leica imaging profiles, giving and empowering individual content creators, photographers etc, to express their creativity, while retaining the authentic style of Leica imagery.

Authentic Leica Imagery, Leica Imaging Profiles

Xiaomi and Leica have jointly created a new standard for smartphone photography in this new era of mobile photography. By combining Leica’s in-depth understanding of optics, imaging processing, image quality, and Xiaomi’s rich experience in smartphone computing photography, Xiaomi 12S Series, that is “co-engineered with Leica” offers unprecedented smartphone image quality and colours that adhere to Leica’s signature look and feel.

Xiaomi and Leica have co-developed sophisticated optical lenses, pushing imaging technology to new limits. Xiaomi 12S Ultra, the top smartphone model utilises Leica’s world-class optical design capabilities in its lens system while adhering to their stringent optical quality testing standards and implementing Xiaomi’s expertise in miniaturising components to ensure ultra-high resolution, ultra-high light sensitivity, reduced dispersion and lower flare.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra primary camera adopts an 8P aspheric lens. In photography, flare, ghosting, and chromatic aberration are common issues, the camera module of Xiaomi 12S Ultra also adds anti-glare lens coating, edge ink coating, cyclic coating, cyclic olefin copolymer material, and infrared light filter with spin coating technology. Together, these features offer a clearer overall picture that is consistent across the lens.

In addition to the advanced optical design, Xiaomi 12S Series “co-engineered with Leica” also utilises Leica imaging profiles. They have inherited Leica’s century-old image aesthetic and reproducing Leica’s tone and aesthetics with the aid of cutting-edge algorithms. For the end user, this means access to two photographic styles: The “Leica Authentic Look” and “Leica Vibrant Look”, both offering enhanced creative freedom to the photographer.

• The “Leica Authentic Look” pursues a natural imagery for which Leica is known. By retaining light and shadow contrast, it adds a sense of three-dimensional depth to photos, with the characteristic excellence of Leica’s time-proven light and shadow aesthetics. 
• The “Leica Vibrant Look” features input by both Xiaomi and Leica. Combining Xiaomi’s experience in smartphone photography with Leica’s leading aesthetic, photographers can strive to capture the emotion of the moment, symbolizing Leica’s exploration in the smartphone photography space.

Xiaomi 12S Series “co-engineered with Leica” brings authentic “Leica Image Look” to a smartphone.

Professional wide-angle camera with a super-large 1″ sensor

Xiaomi 12S Ultra is equipped with Sony’s IMX989 1″ sensor, implementing a Quad-Bayer pixel array with individual pixel sizes reaching 1.6μm. After pixel binning, this reaches 3.2μm, reducing noise, extending dynamic range, increasing light captured, and achieving overall better imagery in low-light conditions. This sets a new precedent in smartphone cameras, approaching traditional cameras in terms of hardware specifications. 

Xiaomi 12S Ultra is the first Android device to support Dolby Vision HDR video recording and playback. Dolby Vision enhances your videos with vivid colors, sharper contrast ratio, and richer details, providing you with vibrant and refined image quality. Xiaomi 12S Ultra uses HyperOIS for ultra-stable performance, offering continuous compensation for movement during video recording. HyperOIS utilizes the gap between two frames to drive the OIS motor to its original position, giving each frame a full effective range of stabilization.

Xiaomi 12S and Xiaomi 12S Pro feature Sony’s IMX707 as their primary sensor, which incorporates both a large sensor size and large pixels, at 1/1.28” and 2 and 2.44μm after pixel binning. With the support of Xiaomi AI Image Solution and Xiaomi ProFocus, these sensors achieve fast startup, capture, and continuous capturing. These devices support an industry-leading 30fps ultra-fast burst mode, and exceptional low-light photography capabilities. Further, they also implement All-scene snapshot in their cameras, making it easier to capture the decisive moment.

Xiaomi 12S Series “co-engineered with Leica” has also been designed to be more photographer-friendly in post-production. The entire series supports 10-bit RAW format 3.

One smartphone, two Xiaomi Surge chips

Xiaomi 12S Ultra “co-engineered with Leica” is the first flagship model to be equipped with two proprietary Xiaomi Surge chips, Xiaomi Surge P1 fast-charging chipset and Xiaomi Surge G1 battery management chipset, offering great improvements in battery management and overall user experience.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra supports 67W wired fast charging, 50W wireless fast charging and 10W reverse wireless charging. At the core of the Xiaomi Surge Battery Management System, is a 4,860mAh single-cell silicon-oxygen anode battery and Xiaomi Surge P1 fast-charging chipset, which also supports up to a 16A output current with 96.8% conversion efficiency. Furthermore, Xiaomi Surge G1 battery management chipset offers a slew of battery management algorithms, embedding self-developed battery management algorithms to protect the working safety of the battery and monitor the discharge load to accurately predict the available battery life of the device. Xiaomi 12S Ultra also supports adaptive charging toprevent the battery from overcharging thereby increasing the number of charge cycles by 25%.

Xiaomi 12S Pro features Xiaomi Surge P1 fast-charging chipset, 120W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and a 4,600mAh single-cell battery, while the Xiaomi 12S offers 67W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and a 4,500mAh battery.

calibrated by Adobe Labs, with color correction metadata embedded in the files. When using Adobe Lightroom to open photos shot on Xiaomi 12S Series, Adobe Camera RAW software will automatically optimize photos based on metadata, providing professional photographers with a good starting point for post-production.

Flagship Performance, Flagship Display

As Xiaomi’s latest flagship, Xiaomi 12S Series “co-engineered with Leica” is powered by the all-new Snapdragon® 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform, built on the TSMC 4nm process. Compared to Snapdragon® 8 Gen 1, the core area of Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is 21% smaller, with both the CPU and GPU receiving a 10% improvement in performance and a 30% improvement in energy efficiency. This not only significantlyreduces the standby power consumption of Xiaomi 12S Series, but also allows for lower heat emission and power consumption under high-load computing scenarios.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra is equipped with a whole new heat dissipation system, similar to the biological mechanism leaves on a plant may use to absorb water. This three-dimensional cooling pump is ingeniously designed with a series of channels, which use a capillary network to actively pump cooling liquid condensed at the side opposite of warm areas, greatly improving efficiency and increasing the thermal conductivity of a single unit by 100%, compared with traditional VC heat dissipation systems.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra and Xiaomi 12S Pro feature a 6.73″AMOLED color display with E5 luminescent material that deliver a professional level of detail, brightness and color performance, in addition to a peak brightness of 1500 nits, 2K resolution, P3 color gamut, and 1-120Hz AdaptiveSync Pro. Xiaomi 12S is slightly more compact at just 6.28”, and also supports P3 color gamut display, HDR10+, and 120Hz AdaptiveSync.

Also announced were Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity Edition, Xiaomi Book Pro 16, Xiaomi Book Pro 14, Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro, and Xiaomi Home WiFi.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra Technical Specifications

* Information and pictures courtesy of Xiaomi and APRW *

The post Xiaomi x Leica Strategic Partnership in Xiaomi 12S Series Imaging Technology appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Two of the world biggest brand names, Xiaomi is the world’s leading consumer electronics and smart manufacturing company, while Leica Camera legendary reputation is based on a long tradition of excellent quality, innovative technologies and German craftsmanship.

About Xiaomi

Founded in 2010, Xiaomi is currently the world’s third-largest smartphone manufacturer. Since its establishment 12 years ago, Xiaomi has always practiced the mission of ‘relentlessly building amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology’, its smartphones and other products are sold in more than 100 countries and regions around the world.

With strong R&D strength and continuous long-term investment in technology, Xiaomi has become an important leader in technological innovation in the fields of consumer electronics and smart manufacturing. And in the field of imaging, based on its longterm technical accumulation in lens optics, chips, algorithms, etc., as well as its deep understanding of mobile photography, Xiaomi provides extraordinary photography experiences including portraits, night scenes, and snapshots.

About Leica Camera

For over 100 years, Leica Camera has been creating lightweight cameras favoured by street photographer pioneers and world-class optical lenses, fulfilling the passions of its community. With ingenious optical engineering and formidable craftsmanship, Leica cameras, recognisable by their ‘red dot’ branding, are German engineering at its best, and continue to attract new generations of consumers who aspire to achieve “the Leica image look” and own these masterpieces of design. In addition to making precision-crafted masterpieces, Leica attracts well-known photographers and emerging new talents around the world.

A common passion and direction in mobile imaging

Xiaomi and Leica share the same ideas regarding mobile imaging. Both companies are eager to continuously explore the optical performance and photographic experience in the mobile imaging era through extreme technological breakthroughs and aesthetic pursuits.

“Xiaomi focuses on creating the ultimate user experience, and has always hoped to explore the capabilities of smartphone photography to the extreme. Xiaomi and Leica agree with each other’s pursuits and ideas and appreciate each other’s advantages and industry. This cooperation will provide a strong boost to Xiaomi’s imaging strategy. During the cooperation, from optical design to tuning aesthetic orientations, the innovative technologies, product philosophies and imaging preferences of both parties have experienced unprecedented in-depth collision and fusion.” says Lei Jun, founder, chairman and CEO of Xiaomi Group.

“It is an honor to announce the long-term strategic cooperation with Xiaomi today. Leica and Xiaomi are both global premium brands and during this unprecedented deep cooperation process, both parties have successively worked on the goal of providing customers a new era of mobile photography. We are convinced that the first jointly developed imaging flagship smartphone makes the pioneering progress of both companies visible. We will provide consumers in the field of mobile photography exceptional image quality, classic Leica aesthetics, unrestricted creativity, and will open a new era of mobile imaging.” adds Matthias Harsch, CEO of Leica Camera AG.

Coming soon: A new era of mobile imaging 

On a personal note, I am looking forward to this new era of mobile imaging. Smartphone photography has developed and improved significantly over the years, it has been an integral part of my overall photography adventures and journeys.

As a photographer myself that started my photography journey in film/analogue photography some decades back before entering into digital photography before the birth of mobile phone/smartphone photography revolution, I am excited with this new era of mobile imaging world by Xiaomi and Leica Camera. I still remembered my smartphone photography journeys when Leica first entered into this mobile imaging market, I was at the forefront, I had the opportunity to test it out. Overall, I was very impressed with mobile imaging experience by Leica Camera with the Huawei P9 smartphone.

Smartphone photography is not going to go away in a social media networking, internet and media consumption driven world today. Smartphone photography have already complemented us photographers well, and bringing a new digital and social media networking experience to many users around the world today.

Coming soon: A new era of mobile imaging by Xiaomi and Leica Camera, in July 2022! Keep a lookout for them!

* Information and picture courtesy of Xiaomi and APRW *

The post Xiaomi and Leica Camera announce long-term strategic cooperation appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.