For the first time, Xiaomi is partnering with an imaging company for use on their devices. The company is Leica, for which Xiaomi also partnered with Sony to produce the 1 ″ IMX989 sensor.
This sensor is for a 50.3MP camera on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra device with the camera application also offering several color profiles such as "Leica Authentic Look" and "Leica Vibrant Look". It also allows Xiaomi to be the first Android device to support Dolby Vision HDR video recording after being limited to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13.
According to Richard Lai, one of the reporters for Engadget - he stated Lei Jun who is the CEO of Xiaomi also wants to promote the sophistication of the imaging technology they developed along with competitors. This means that the Sony IMX989 Leica 1 ″ sensor is not exclusive to Xiaomi devices only and can also be used on competitor devices.
The development cost of this sensor is $ 15 million and it is shared equally between Sony and Xiaomi. For now, devices under the Xiaomi 12S series will be limited to the Chinese market only and only after this device will this Leica camera technology be used on competitor devices.