The first smartphone with a 64MP camera could come from Xiaomi

Xiaomi Mi 9
Image credit: TechRadar

Xiaomi isn't a high-end (in terms of price) smartphone maker, but its got a knack for firsts – the Xiaomi Mi 9 was the first handset in the world released with the Snapdragon 855 chipset, and now it looks like a future Xiaomi device could be the first phone with a 64MP camera.

That's according to a line of code in the camera app of the developer kit for the upcoming MIUI 10, discovered by XDA Developers – MIUI is Xiaomi's user interface (UI) which it lays over the top of Android.

The code has multiple lines that make reference to 64MP photography, and it looks like the lines are for a watermark that would be laid over pictures taken by a phone.

We have reason to believe this code references a future smartphone's camera, because Samsung recently announced a 64MP sensor for smartphones, which tops the 48MP seen on several current handsets, including the Xiaomi Mi 9. 

It looks like a future Xiaomi device could use the 64MP sensor, and at the moment we don't know of any other phones that will.

There have been rumors that the Samsung Galaxy A70 S could use the sensor, but we've heard that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 will not have a 64MP camera, so it's not clear when we'll see Samsung's sensor on its own phones. We've also not heard of any other smartphone manufacturers considering 64MP cameras yet.

That said, we don't know when Xiaomi will use this tech either – presumably it will at some point, as megapixel counts creep ever higher, but whether the Xiaomi Mi 10 will come with a 64MP snapper, or we'll be waiting a lot longer, remains to be seen.

Tom Bedford
Contributor

Tom Bedford joined TechRadar in early 2019 as a staff writer, and left the team as deputy phones editor in late 2022 to work for entertainment site (and TR sister-site) What To Watch. He continues to contribute on a freelance basis for several sections including phones, audio and fitness.

Latest in Xiaomi Phones
Xiaomi 14 Ultra
If this Xiaomi 15 Ultra camera rumor is true, it could rival the Galaxy S25 Ultra
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus against a houseplant
Xiaomi tipped to set impressive new phone battery benchmark in 2025 – and I hope Apple and Samsung are taking notes
The Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro on a window sill.
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro review: one of the best-value cheap phones you can buy right now
Xiaomi Mix Flip review open and closed
Xiaomi Mix Flip review: great to use, hard to find
Xiaomi 14 Ultra
The world’s best camera phone is tipped to get even more powerful, thanks to this new 200MP zoom lens
The Xiaomi 14T in Titan Blue against a leafy background
Xiaomi 14T review: considered compromises
Latest in News
Apple iPhone 16 Pro HANDS ON
Leaked iPhone 17 dummy units may have given us our best look yet at all four models
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #1147)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #378)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #644)
Three iPhone 16 handsets on show
Apple could launch an iPhone 17 Ultra this year – but we've heard these rumors before