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Xiaomi 16 Ultra Tipped to Offer Continuous Optical Zoom Using a Shared CMOS Sensor

Xiaomi 16 Ultra Tipped to Offer Continuous Optical Zoom Using a Shared CMOS Sensor

Xiaomi 16 Ultra is tipped to feature a 1/1.28-inch 200-megapixel periscope telephoto sensor.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 29 July 2025 13:22 IST

Xiaomi 16 Ultra Tipped to Offer Continuous Optical Zoom Using a Shared CMOS Sensor

Lu Weibing, Partner and President of Xiaomi Group, teased the Xiaomi 16 Ultra recently on Weibo

Highlights

Xiaomi 16 Ultra is expected to feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 SoC
The 16 Ultra is said to come with triple rear cameras
It is said to feature a 6.8-inch LTPO display

Xiaomi is gearing up to launch the 16 Ultra, the successor to last year's Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Xiaomi Group President Lu Weibing has officially confirmed the upcoming flagship, and a new leak suggests it could bring significant camera upgrades, including DSLR-level optical zoom capabilities. The handset is expected to debut earlier than its predecessor and may feature a triple rear camera setup, headlined by a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto sensor. It is also likely to be powered by Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset.

Xiaomi 16 Ultra Cameras May Deliver DSLR-Like Zoom Experience

Tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo (via) claimed that Xiaomi 16 Ultra will offer “continuous optical zoom” technology. The handset is said to adopt the industry's most advanced continuous zoom solution. It is tipped to use a 200-megapixel large sensor and a multi-layer periscope solution (translated from Chinese).

Xiaomi 16 Ultra is said to provide continuous optical zoom by including a common CMOS sensor between two optical zoom segments. This approach could let Xiaomi reduce quality loss when zooming. With this technology, users should be able to capture images at varying zoom levels without a noticeable drop in image quality.

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Notably, Digital Chat Station later edited the original post to remove these details, possibly indicating the information was shared prematurely. Still, with no confirmation from the brand, it is wise to approach this rumour with a degree of scepticism.

Lu Weibing, Partner and President of Xiaomi Group, recently teased the Xiaomi 16 Ultra on Weibo. It is expected to launch by the end of this year.

Xiaomi 16 Ultra Specifications (Rumoured)

The Xiaomi 16 Ultra was previously said to offer a triple rear camera unit instead of a quad rear camera system like on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. The camera setup is rumoured to include a 50-megapixel 1-inch main camera, a 1/1.28-inch 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens with up to 5x optical zoom, and a 1/2-inch 50-megapixel Sony LYT600 ultra wide sensor. For selfies and videochats, it is expected to feature a 50-megapixel front camera.

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As per past leaks, the Xiaomi 16 Ultra could ship with a 6.8-inch LTPO display with 2K resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. It is said to be powered by Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset. The battery capacity of the phone could range from 7,000mAh to 7,500mAh. The phone may support 100W wired fast charging and 50W wireless charging.

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Xiaomi 15 Ultra

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Leica-camera-inspired design can turn heads
Excellent and bright display with Dolby Vision support
Superb camera setup and class-leading periscope output
Top-notch performance
The Photography Kit is an add-on for enthusiasts (sold separetly)

Bad
Expensive
AI features can be improved
Selfie camera is not flagship-grade
Bloatware

Read detailed Xiaomi 15 Ultra review

Display 6.73-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite

Front Camera 32-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 200-megapixel + 50-megapixel

RAM 16GB

Storage 512GB

Battery Capacity 5410mAh

OS Android 15

Resolution 3200x1440 pixels

More Xiaomi mobiles Xiaomi mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Xiaomi, Xiaomi 16 Ultra, Xiaomi 16 Ultra Specifications, Xiaomi 15 Ultra

Nithya P Nair

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Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More