The Xiaomi Mi 9 comes with both telephoto and ultra-wide-angle lens

Xiaomi has revealed camera details for the upcoming Mi 9 smartphone. Like most smartphone manufacturers, Xiaomi is also going for a triple-camera setup that offers greater versatility compared to its current Mi 8 flagship.

48MP f/1.75 main camera

The main camera on the Mi 9 will be using Sony’s 48MP IMX586 sensor. This is the same imaging sensor that’s found on the Honor View 20. For better low-light capability, the Mi 9’s camera can combine 4 nearby pixels to creater a larger 1.6-micron Super Pixel. This will provide a brighter 12MP image.

The 48MP shooter uses a larger 1/2.0″ sensor and it’s larger than the current 1/2.55″ image sensor that’s fitted on the current Mi 8 model. For quicker focus even in dark situations, the Mi 9 is assisted with a combination of Laser Autofocus, PDAF and CDAF.

16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera

To get more into the picture, the Mi 9 features a dedicated 16MP f/2.2 shooter for ultra-wide-angle shots. According to Xiaomi, the camera lens has a field of view of 117-degrees.

The ultra-wide-angle lens can also be utilised for macro shots and the Mi 9 allows you to capture as close as 4cm. As a comparison, the Mate 20 Pro has a Super Macro Mode that uses the ultra-wide-angle lens and you can shoot from as close as 2.5cm.

12MP f/2.2 telephoto camera

For moments where you need to get closer, Xiaomi has also retained a telephoto lens for the Mi 9. It gets a 12MP telephoto unit that offers 2x optical zoom with an aperture of f/2.2.

Sapphire glass lens cover

To protect the camera lens from scratches, the Mi 9 will get a sapphire glass cover. On top of that, the lens have an extra super black coating which is applied purely for aesthetics. So far there’s still no mention about its image stabilisation. Perhaps, Xiaomi might drop more details in the next couple of days.

Overall, the Mi 9’s camera looks promising on paper and this is their first smartphone to offer both telephoto and ultra-wide-angle lens. For the past year, the Chinese smartphone maker has been making significant progress in the imaging department. The current Mi MIX 3 had scored 103 on DxoMark Mobile, which puts it on par with the Samsung Galaxy Note9.

The Xiaomi Mi 9 will be announced in China on 20th February and it will make its global debut at Barcelona on the 24th February 2019.

Related reading