New Xiaomi 12 could have a lower resolution camera

In a move many might not appreciate, the Xiaomi 12 could have a less powerful camera than its predecessor.

It seems that Xiaomi is changing priorities, as after launching the Mi 10 series with a 108MP camera last year, rumours suggest the company is changing tactics and won’t be focusing on cameras this time around.

As reported by Android Central, the rumours were found originally on the China-based Digital Chat Station, claiming that the Xiaomi 12 won’t have the 108MP sensor, but instead will come with three 50MP sensors instead.

This would mean the Xiaomi 12 could be fitted with a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP ultrawide shooter and a 50MP telephoto camera.

Even if our predictions aren’t accurate, the move away from the powerful camera marks a change in Xiaomi’s focus on mobile photography, especially since at one stage the Xiaomi 12 was rumoured to feature a 200MP sensor.

It is also possible that Xiaomi is holding back on the powerful camera on the 12 due to the launch of the Xiaomi 12 Ultra, the higher-end phone that is expected to be pretty impressive.

The Digital Chat Station also had some other predictions, with one user suggesting that the phone’s telephoto camera will feature a 5x periscope zoom, which we’ve seen on the iPhone 11 to a lesser extent, with Apple only going as far as 2x zoom.

A periscope zoom would be a great feature for this phone, and a lot more practical than the earlier suggested 10x periscope lens that Xiaomi was supposedly working on for a smoother camera experience.

This specific rumour came out of the woodwork after the company confirmed that it would be leaving behind the Mi branding across all of its products, in an effort to streamline its global strategy around its flagship phones.

It’s not currently known when the Xiaomi 12 will be launching or available to preorder, but it’s expected to be around in the first few months of 2022, so keep your eyes peeled.