Xiaomi recently launched their flagship smartphone called Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha, and it has garnered a lot of accolades due to its unique design. The smartphone features a 180% screen that’s wrapped around the body. The curved edges have touchscreen buttons that control the volume and also show the percentage of battery, connectivity, and notifications. It’s no surprise that the phone has been priced at Rs 1.5 lakh in India.
However, this is not the big news that everyone is talking about. The matter has to do with a speculation made by an XDA Developer forum member who found something peculiar in the MIUI 11 latest update.
XDA Junior Member kackskrz brought to the forum’s attention, a string in the code of MIUI 11 update’s camera. Terms like UHD and 8K were used in the apk:
<string name="pref_video_quality_entry_8kuhd">UHD 8K, 30fps</string> <string name="video_ultra_clear_tip_8k">8K UHD</string>
This is an evidence related to video quality configuration that reveals the output resolution of a new camera profile, which is 7680×4320 pixels. Moreover, an image was also pulled from the latest MIUI Camera app that mention 8K@30fps.
The only thing opposing this conjecture is the unavailability of 8K camera hardware in the current market. Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha has a 108 MP wide-angle camera but is only able to record Ultra HD (2160p) videos at 30fps.
An 8K camera in a smartphone seems nearly impossible, unless, Xiaomi has found a way to include an extremely rare component that not everyone can afford. In fact, Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, which costs more than Rs 2,40,000 is only able to record videos in 4K with a resolution of 30.4 megapixels. The allegedly affordable 8K shooter, Sharp’s 8K Micro Four Thirds camera, is still a mystery waiting to be revealed.
One thing’s for sure amidst the lofty speculations of people. Xiaomi is moving at an unprecedented rate to take over the likes of OnePlus and Samsung.
