The World’s First Liquid Lens Camera Will Be on a Xiaomi Smartphone
Smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi will have a product launch on March 29. Xiaomi will bring back the Mi Mix series. But the thing that excites consumers and techies is the announcement that the phone will use liquid lens technology. This will be the first smartphone in the world with this camera technology.
Liquid lens
With a liquid lens, the camera can change focus and focal length by varying the liquid element’s shape. The technology allowed Xiaomi to replace the multi-camera array that most recently released smartphones have, with just a single camera.
A liquid lens concept is not new, but this is the first time they integrate it into a smartphone. The significant thing about a liquid lens is its capacity to overcome the limitations of the depth of field. It allows the electronic change of its focus with no mechanical movement.
The company’s Weibo blog confirmed the technology’s integration into the Mi Mix smartphone.
With the new lens technology, a liquid wrapped in a thin film replaces the regular optical lens, and a motor controls the shape of the lens precisely. The action allows for a super-fast auto focusing action. It allows the focal length of the lens to transform. In effect, the liquid lens can quickly shift from macro to telephoto to wide-angle. The technology gives users a very flexible phone camera with a single lens.
Xiaomi claims they developed the technology for their phone. The company says the liquid lens features high light transmittance, resistance to extreme environments and ultra-low dispersion.
The liquid lens technology was first introduced in June 2004. Back then, many people already touted it as a game-changer. Corning Varioptic and Samsung were working together to have a liquid lens camera for the smartphone, even as far as announcing it will be available commercially by 2005.
But the plan did not happen. However, Samsung has had a patent since 2010 for a liquid zoom lens.
Reviewers eagerly await the unveiling of the liquid lens in the Mi Mix camera and cannot wait to see how it will perform. Xiaomi is always a forefront runner in smartphone innovations, like the waterfall display. The launching event on March 29, 2021, will also see the debut of the Mi 11 Super Cup GN2. It will be one of the first smartphones to use the new Isocell GN2 camera sensor from Samsung. They will also launch the Mi 11 Ultra and Mi 11 Pro.
Leaked photos showed an inward-folding phone. Thus, many speculate that Xiaomi’s folding phone will carry the MIX name. We do not know if the company will launch the phone during their launch. The leaked photos showed on the shell of the phone, with no cover.
Xiaomi’s liquid lens
According to Xiaomi, the liquid lens they developed imitates the work of the human eye and its ability to focus on things at variable distances immediately.
The company calls its liquid lens technology bionic photography. It involves an ultra-thin film wrapped in transparent liquid. Because of the composition, the lens can quickly change its curvature, to refocus faster while minimizing distortion.
However, Xiaomi did not explain how it would work with smartphones.
The waiting time is short. They will reveal everything on March 29.