Sharpened Photos, Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Camera with 108 MP Camera

Chinese technology giant Xiaomi has launched the Mi CC9 Pro, the world's first mainstream smartphone that has a 108 megapixel camera.

As reported by the BBC on Tuesday (5/11), the extra high resolution sensor was once developed by Samsung, but the Korean company has not yet installed it in its own products. The companies claim the benefit of a high-resolution camera is that it provides "very sharp photographs that are rich in detail".

However, one preliminary test of the technology shows that this high resolution camera image contains more digital distortion than that produced by lower resolution smartphones.

For now, the Mi CC9 Pro premium mobile phone has just been announced for the Chinese market only, where the base model sells for 2,799 yuan (US $ 400; Rp5.62 million).

But Xiaomi said it would use the same camera components in the Mi Note 10, which will be launched on Wednesday (6/11) and sold more widely.

At present, Xiaomi is the fourth best-selling smartphone vendor in the world, according to research firm Canalys, with a market share of 9.1%. Xiaomi's sales  are growing rapidly in Europe and has just announced its intention to expand to Japan in 2020.

Until now, 100MP + sensors have usually been the preservation of medium format digital cameras, which can cost a lot of money for production.

"Images from the Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition show more artifacts than our highest-scored cellphone," said the DXOMark review site, which was given early access to the new device.

Weakness

DXOMark added that this phone provides "limited dynamic range compared to other top players", which means it tends to capture less detail in glare and dim light.

Users must also remember that a 108MP shot will take up more storage than usual and require more processing power to edit.

However, this phone also includes other low-resolution sensors on the back for telephoto portraits, wide-angle landscapes, and macro close-up shots - which makes DXOMark give a high score.

Xiaomi previously announced it would use a 108MP sensor on Mi Mix Alpha, which was launched in September. But this device is called a luxury device with a price tag of 19,999 yuan (US $ 2,856; Rp. 40.1 million), and will not be released until December.

An expert said the inclusion of high-resolution cameras in the mass market namely Mi CC9 Pro and Mi Note 10 will help Xiaomi phones stand out.

"Mobile phone manufacturers will do everything in their power to attract people's attention, and this enormous megapixel camera is one way to attract attention," commented Ben Wood of CCS Insight consultants.