Xiaomi 16 Ultra Tipped to Use SmartSens Camera Sensor Instead of Sony LYT-900

Xiaomi 15 Ultra, with a Leica-branded rear camera and Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, was launched in India in March. Now, rumours about its potential successor, Xiaomi 16 Ultra, have started appearing on the Web. Xiaomi is said to pack a new camera sensor in the upcoming Ultra phone. The Xiaomi 16 Ultra is expected to go official early next year and is likely to ship with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset. 

Tipster Kartikey Singh on X has suggested that Xiaomi could use SmartSens camera components for the Xiaomi 16 Ultra. The Huawei Pura 80 Ultra has an SC5A0CS camera sensor, developed by SmartSens. This 1-inch primary lens is likely to be used in the upcoming Xiaomi flagship as well. The brand is speculated to use the new sensor as a replacement for the Sony LYT-900.

Xiaomi has been using camera sensors made by Sony, Samsung and OmniVision on its flagship models. However, the new leak suggests that the tech giant is planning a switch in this aspect.

The existing Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a Leica-backed quad rear camera unit headlined by a 50-megapixel primary Sony LYT-900 sensor with support for optical image stabilisation (OIS). The camera unit also includes a 50-megapixel ultrawide shooter, a 50-megapixel Sony IMX858 telephoto camera with OIS and a 200-megapixel ISOCELL HP9 periscope telephoto camera.

We'll likely get a clearer picture of Xiaomi's roadmap next year, with the Xiaomi 16 Ultra expected to launch in early 2026. The upcoming flagship is anticipated to feature Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra Price in India, Specifications

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra was introduced in the Chinese market in February and made its way to India in March with a price tag of Rs. 1,09,999 for the single 16GB RAM + 512GB storage configuration.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a 6.73-inch WQHD+ (1,440x3,200 pixels) quad curved LTPO AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It runs on a Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB UFS 4.1 storage. It gets a 32-megapixel front camera sensor for selfies and video calls. The phone packs a 5,410mAh battery with 90W wired and 80W wireless fast charging support. It has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.