Xiaomi Prioritizes Hardware Over AI in Smartphone Camera Development
By
Dominic Preston
Crackles when you bite it. Shows the baker did the work.
Summary
Xiaomi is taking a different approach to smartphone photography by focusing on hardware improvements rather than AI features, unlike competitors Google and Samsung. At MWC 2026, Xiaomi's communications director Angus Ng explained that the company is currently focused on overcoming hardware limitations first, as demonstrated with their 17 and 17 Ultra phones featuring Leica co-created cameras. This represents a strategic divergence from the industry trend of emphasizing AI capabilities in camera systems.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledWe're still currently focusing on what is the limitation of hardware
Xiaomi bucked an industry trend: it didn't really talk about AI all that much
it really didn't talk about AI when it showed off the two phones' cameras
Xiaomi's cameras aren't all about AI
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