MWC 2025 could possibly be a smartphone photographer’s dream
OPINION: MWC has all the time hosted huge smartphone launches. Lately, it has targeted primarily on Chinese language manufacturers, with producers like Xiaomi, Honor, Realme, ZTE, and others utilizing the European occasion as a springboard for worldwide releases. MWC 2025 is not any totally different.
The enjoyable is ready to begin earlier than MWC formally kicks off on Monday morning, with Xiaomi, Honor and HMD all saying merchandise on Sunday afternoon. TCL, ZTE and Realme are additionally set to affix in on the enjoyable on Monday – and the latter has one of many extra attention-grabbing MWC teasers.
Along with revealing the Realme 14 Professional assortment for a wider (presumably European) market, the producer has additionally teased the reveal of an ‘extremely digital camera telephone’.
It’s not clear whether or not it’ll be a full reveal or a teaser forward of an announcement later, nevertheless it feels like a unbelievable little bit of equipment with “cutting-edge optical imaging that elevates cellular images to DSLR ranges”.
Primarily based on official teasers from Realme, the ‘extremely’ digital camera telephone will sport a customized 1-inch Sony sensor for “extremely readability” and a telephoto digital camera with a whopping 10x optical zoom. That’s not one thing we’ve seen for the reason that Galaxy S23 Extremely, earlier than it was ditched for an (arguably extra helpful) high-res 5x periscope lens with the S24 Extremely and later.
The corporate has even shared just a few photographs taken on the smartphone utilizing the 10x sensor – which interprets to 234mm – that look completely phenomenal. The close-up of the pinecone boasts a tender, professional-looking bokeh whereas the close-up of the mannequin’s face boasts sufficient element you could make out the atmosphere from the reflections in her eye.
I’ll maintain off on making a judgement till I play with the telephone on the present flooring subsequent week, nevertheless it actually seems to be prefer it might problem the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely, Oppo Discover X8 Professional, and iPhone 16 Professional Max within the digital camera division, and it’s not the one one both.
Xiaomi has been teasing ‘pinnacle efficiency’ forward of its occasion on Sunday afternoon, the place it’s broadly anticipated to launch not solely the Xiaomi 15 for worldwide markets but additionally the brand new Xiaomi 15 Extremely. The latter has simply launched in China, and on condition that the rear digital camera bump seems to be virtually an identical to the define within the official Xiaomi teaser, it’s virtually a carried out deal at this level.
It’s not precisely a shock given the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Extremely each launched at MWC final 12 months, nevertheless it’s nonetheless an thrilling launch particularly for smartphone images followers.
Merely put, the Xiaomi 14 Extremely had one in all, if not one of the best digital camera system of any 2024 smartphone. It not solely had an enormous 1-inch sensor powering the 50MP foremost digital camera, nevertheless it supplied a flexible set of telephoto and periscope lenses that allowed it to simply match the likes of the S24 Extremely, and I’m anticipating a lot of the identical this 12 months.
In reality, with the telephone now official in China, we’ve had our first have a look at the upgraded digital camera setup – and it’s simply as spectacular.
The 1-inch-backed foremost sensor returns alongside the 50MP 3x floating telephoto lens and 50MP ultrawide lens, although the 50MP 5x periscope lens has been switched out for a higher-res 200MP 4.3x various. Matching that of the Honor Magic 7 Professional and Vivo X200 Professional, it’s one of many highest decision periscope cameras available on the market proper now.
Given Xiaomi’s ongoing relationship with digital camera producer Leica, I’m additionally anticipating distinctive digital camera tuning. I’ve all the time been a fan of Leica-backed Xiaomi cameras (the floating telephoto of the Xiaomi 13 Professional received my coronary heart again in 2023) so I’m very a lot trying ahead to spending time with the telephone as soon as it’s official.
Mixed with the mysterious ‘extremely’ digital camera telephone from Realme, MWC is gearing as much as be a smartphone photographer’s dream – and I can’t wait to stroll the halls of the Fira and see all of it for myself subsequent week.
