Last year, Xiaomi presented two offshoots of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, dubbed the Imaging Limited Edition and the Concept. While the former featured 52 mm CPL and 8x star filters, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept supports Leica M lenses. Little had been heard of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept since, with Xiaomi deciding against bringing the handset to any subsequent trade shows or launch events.
However, Leica invited Mrwhosetheboss to try the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept, which he claims costs US$43,000. For reference, that alleged cost is likely to reflect the device’s rarity rather than the cost of producing it. Reputedly, Xiaomi and Leica only produced three units, which would make it one of the rarest smartphones ever. To recap, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept swaps the ultra-wide-angle camera in its retail sibling for a second 1-inch sensor. Mrwhosetheboss adds that the exposed sensor sits behind a thin glass layer, protecting it somewhat.
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Perhaps unsurprisingly, the exposed 1-inch sensor in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept takes better-looking photos than typical smartphone camera sensors. This was only achieved with the Leica Summilux-M 1.4/35 ASPH though, which retails for US$5,395. Also, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept acts like a telephoto camera with an f/3.78 aperture and a 94.5 mm equivalent focal length. As such, Mrwhosetheboss compared the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept with the telephoto camera in the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which has a 12 MP, 1/3.5-inch, f/2.8 and 77 mm telephoto camera.
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept is not without disadvantages, setting aside its massive footprint. The exposed sensor lacks autofocus and cannot focus on objects further than 20 metres away. Thus, an iPhone 14 Pro Max is more versatile in this regard. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept achieves bokeh-effect portrait photos without software trickery too, although it emphasises how close Apple is to achieving a natural-looking effect.
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