Last year at the MWC, we got some hands-on time with a curious prototype – the Xiaomi Modular Optical System. Xiaomi described it as a research project, so its future was uncertain. However, Digital Chat Station now reports that this device is going into mass production and will be available commercially early this year (exact date is to be determined).
In case you missed it, this is a detachable camera module with a 100MP micro four-thirds sensor with a 35mm f/1.4-f/11 lens and a manual focus ring. The sensor offers native 2x zoom with pixel binning.
What sets this apart from previous devices like the Sony lens-style cameras is the high-speed connection dubbed LaserLink. Thanks to the low-latency and high data rates of up to 10Gbps, this camera uses the phone’s powerful ISP to do the image processing.
The prototype micro four-thirds module and a custom Xiaomi 15
Which phone? Well, the prototype last year was demonstrated with a customized Xiaomi 15. However, that’s old news now. There is some talk that an upcoming “Xiaomi Mix 5” flagship will be the first to have the necessary LaserLink connection.
And that’s the biggest downside of this system – only phones that have not just the Qi2-style magnets on their backs, but also the data connection will be able to use the detachable micro four-thirds module.
On the plus side, the module is stripped down – it doesn’t have its own battery but instead draws power from the phone. No processing hardware either. Even so, the prototype we handled weighed 100g, which was a bit awkward on the small Xiaomi 15 (but it should feel better on a larger Mix-class device). Also, the camera powers off when not in use and needs a couple of seconds to boot back up.
Here is CEO Lei Jun demonstrating the micro four-thirds module:
Source (in Chinese) | Via
