Xiaomi’s new concept phone makes it possible to attach a full-size Leica camera lens to the back of a prototype version of its 12S Ultra. The version of the smartphone released earlier this year is already notable for having a 1-inch-type camera sensor on the back, which is much larger than those typically used in phones and more in line with what you’re looking for. could find in a compact stand-alone camera. Xiaomi’s new concept gives it both a secondary 1-inch sensor and a matching full-size lens.

In a teaser trailer, Xiaomi shows how the concept is designed to work with Leica’s M-series lenses. The Chinese tech giant previously partnered with Leica to co-develop the camera system used in the 12S Ultra GSMArena reports including collaborating on the design of the optics. But it says the move to a full-size camera lens turns the smartphone into a “professional photo-taking tool” with benefits like “authentic depth of field” rather than the software-based background blur features found in most smartphones. .

It’s an interesting concept. Smartphone cameras have made huge strides in recent years, embracing computational photography to overcome their relatively modest sensor and lens hardware. That begs the question of what results you could get by combining the AI ​​photography smarts of a flagship smartphone with the hardware of a standalone mirrorless camera. Xiaomi’s concept follows in the footsteps of accessories such as Hasselblad’s MotoMod mount for the Moto Z.

Xiaomi says its concept phone would use its AI imaging solution to process photos and offer the ability to shoot in 10-bit RAW. The attachable lens would integrate with the camera app, with software features such as focus peaking, zebra lines and a histogram.