Xiaomi launched the 17 Ultra flagship phone, with a special Leica edition featuring a rotatable manual zoom ring integrated into the camera island, along with Leica branding and custom software effects. The phone boasts a 50MP main camera, a 200MP telephoto with continuous optical zoom, and high-end specs, with plans for a global release in 2026.
Xiaomi has announced the 17 Ultra by Leica, a flagship smartphone featuring advanced camera technology including a manual zoom ring, a 50MP main sensor with LOFIC technology, Leica-certified optics, and a range of professional photography features, aimed at mobile photographers. The device also boasts powerful specs like Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 16GB RAM, and a 6,800mAh battery, with a global launch expected soon.
The upcoming Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition is rumored to feature a rotating bezel for tactile zoom control, offering a more camera-like experience, with the standard model lacking this feature. The Leica Edition emphasizes high-end photography with Leica-certified lenses and a distinctive design, including a prominent Leica logo instead of the 'Ultra' branding.
The Oppo Find X9 Pro boasts an exceptional battery life of up to three days thanks to a 7,500mAh silicon-carbon battery, making it the longest-lasting flagship in years, complemented by excellent cameras and fast charging options. It features a sleek design, high-resolution cameras, and powerful performance, positioning it as a top contender among Android flagships, though it remains expensive and lacks US release and Qi2 support.
Oppo's Find X9 Pro features a massive 7,500mAh battery, a 200MP telephoto camera with an attachable teleconverter for up to 10x zoom, a bright 6.78-inch display, and advanced photography capabilities, but it won't be available in the US and is priced at around $1,459.
The Oppo Find X9 Pro is a flagship smartphone featuring a groundbreaking detachable 200-megapixel telephoto lens with up to 13.2X lossless zoom and an optional 3.28X Hasselblad Teleconverter Kit, along with a versatile camera system, large display, and long-lasting battery, emphasizing advanced mobile photography capabilities.
The upcoming iPhone 18 Pro is rumored to feature DSLR-style aperture control, allowing users to manually adjust the camera's aperture for enhanced photography capabilities, similar to traditional DSLR cameras.
Google has released a v10.1 update for Pixel Camera on older Pixel devices, introducing Material 3 design elements such as new button styles and improved organization, making the app look more cohesive with the system UI, though the changes are subtle.
Samsung has introduced the ISOCELL HP5, a smaller yet advanced 200MP camera sensor for smartphones, featuring new technologies that enhance image and video quality, especially in low-light conditions. It offers in-sensor zoom, high dynamic range, and supports high-resolution video recording, with potential use in upcoming smartphones like the OPPO Find X9 Pro and other Chinese brands.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro features AI-enhanced Pro Resolution Zoom, which significantly improves image quality at high magnifications up to 100x, although it has limitations with smaller fonts and fine details. The phone boasts a versatile triple camera system, a high-quality display, and robust hardware, making it a competitive flagship for mobile photography.
The Pixel 10 Pro's Pro Res Zoom feature is highly impressive, allowing up to 100x zoom with AI enhancement that produces surprisingly usable photos, especially of objects and distant scenes like the Space Needle, though it struggles with small text and moving subjects. The feature showcases Google's advanced AI and hardware integration, making it a standout in smartphone zoom capabilities.
The Pixel 10 Pro is highlighted as the best all-around professional smartphone camera due to its advanced features like 100x zoom, RAW photo capture by default, and easy-to-access exposure controls, making it ideal for work photography despite some default overexposure issues in darker lighting conditions.
Google's Pixel 10 lineup leverages advanced AI to enhance photography, real-time voice translation, and personalized AI assistance, pushing the boundaries of smartphone capabilities and prompting competitors like Apple to accelerate their AI development, ultimately benefiting consumers with more powerful and user-friendly devices.
Google Pixel 10 Pro phones now feature a dedicated 10x zoom button in the camera app, making it easier to access high-quality 10x shots from their 5x periscope cameras, addressing a long-standing user request and improving the camera experience.