First Look at Xiaomi’s Modular Camera Lens Prototype

Just before the big mobile trade show in Barcelona, Xiaomi showed off its new prototype camera lens at the Mobile World Congress.

The gadget is a camera unit that snaps onto a phone. It uses the phone as its screen and processor while packing a bigger sensor and a pro-quality lens. Only two media members got to try it out.

Xiaomi’s Modular Optical System is a prototype phone with a magnetic connector. It lets you snap on a camera lens.

This technology is still just a concept, but it was tried out at MWC.

It’s a small camera lens with a built-in sensor that attaches to the back of a phone.

Once connected, the phone uses it as the main camera, which could mean much better photo quality. Some media personnel took a few test shots.

Xiaomi’s idea isn’t new; Sony tried something similar in 2013 with its QX10 and QX100 cameras.

These devices had built-in sensors and used a phone as a viewfinder. But back then, the technology wasn’t ready.

They connected via slow, unreliable Wi-Fi Direct and required a clunky Sony app, which made them frustrating to use.

Xiaomi’s concept is a modern take on Sony’s QX10, designed for 2025.

It snaps onto a phone with magnets but connects using Xiaomi’s “laser link” technology.

However, it only works with a phone that supports laser link, and that phone is still just a concept.

In contrast, Sony’s version worked with any Android phone.

More on the Camera Lens Prototype

Xiaomi’s “LaserLink” system uses a magnetic pogo pin to transfer data super fast up to 10 Gbps.

This is important because the attached camera lens is powerful.

It features a 100-megapixel sensor and an adjustable aperture (f/1.4 to f/11). This makes pictures come out better than a regular smartphone camera.

It also has a large 4/3-inch sensor, which is twice the size of the 1-inch sensors found in top smartphones.

The larger sensor lets in more light and creates a nice natural blur (bokeh). Its 35mm focal length is great for photography.

The lens also has a twistable dial for adjusting focus and f-stop, making the shooting experience feel more hands-on.

LaserLink transfers photos almost instantly, so you can preview shots right away.

The hardware feels ready to use; it snaps on easily, connects automatically, and gets power from the phone.

But for now, Xiaomi is keeping it a prototype because it’s too expensive to mass-produce and affects water resistance.

An engineer, however, hinted it could become a real product soon.