A recent leak points to some notable camera changes coming with the Xiaomi 18 Ultra, specifically around its telephoto system.
Several sources familiar with the device suggest Xiaomi is working with Leica to improve how the phone handles zoom, with the focus on actual image quality at distance rather than chasing higher magnification specs.
A leaker known as Digital Chat Station posted that a Chinese phone maker is developing a 200MP telephoto camera with continuous optical zoom.
The sensor would use LOFIC technology, which helps capture more light and retain detail across different zoom levels. The post left out the brand name, but most people following the story pointed straight to Xiaomi.
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That assumption makes sense given what Xiaomi already shipped. The 17 Ultra came with a 200MP periscope zoom camera built on Samsung’s ISOCELL HPE sensor, covering a 75 to 100mm equivalent focal range.
Add Leica tuning on top of that, and it was already one of the more serious zoom setups you could find on a smartphone last year. A follow-up with continuous optical zoom would be a direct step forward from that foundation.
Xiaomi 18 Ultra Camera Leaks
Leaker Kartikey Singh points to three specific changes for the zoom camera. The sensor itself would get larger, which directly affects how well the camera handles low light and holds onto a good detail when you zoom in.
Dynamic range would also see improvement, which matters because telephoto cameras typically struggle to match the tonal balance you get from the main sensor. The third change is telemacro, meaning close-up shots at longer focal lengths would actually produce usable results rather than the soft, inconsistent output most phones deliver in that mode.
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LOFIC technology is also part of the conversation. The short version is that it helps the sensor hold onto more information when a scene has both bright and dark areas in the same frame. That problem gets worse the more you zoom in, so having better handling there would be a practical improvement you would notice in real photos.
Whether Xiaomi plans to extend the actual zoom range is still unclear. Based on what’s been shared so far, the priority is getting better images at current focal lengths, not adding more millimeters to the spec sheet.
The timing is worth noting because Oppo is expected to put a larger telephoto sensor in the Find X9 Ultra as well, which means more than one company is heading in the same direction.
If that plays out, zoom quality becomes a real point of competition among flagships this year. For Xiaomi, these changes suggest the Ultra line is moving toward delivering better photos in everyday use, rather than leading with numbers that look good on paper.
