One of the most popular technology leakster on Weibo, @DCS, is quite accurate with leaks. According to one of his recent posts, Xiaomi is planning to launch a smartphone like the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. Of course, we ordinarily would expect a successor to the Mi 11 Ultra which should be the Xiaomi Mi 12 Ultra. Nevertheless, his post claims that this device will feature a UWB (Ultra-wideband) tracking technology. Furthermore, he also claims that this flagship smartphone will come with an on-screen camera technology.
UWB (Ultra-wideband) tracking technology
The UWB (Ultra-wideband) tracking technology is not entirely new. Flagships from major manufacturers like Samsung and Apple already use this feature. The iPhone 12 as well as the Galaxy S21 uses this technology with the AirTag and SmartTag respectively for accurate tracking. If this report is true, then it is most likely that Xiaomi is working on a tracking accessory that will support UWB tech.
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On-screen camera technology
As of now, there is only one manufacturer with a smartphone that uses the on-screen camera technology. The company is Chinese manufacturer, ZTE. This brand already has the ZTE Axon 20 5G which was launched in December last year. The company is currently working on its successor, ZTE Axon 30 5G.
However, for the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Google, this technology is not quite ready. While Samsung and Google are working on it, Apple seems not to be doing much about it for now. According to reports, the on-screen camera technology still has the limitation of low transparency which inhibits the passage of light. However, a recent patent from Google claims that it can overcome this issue with a switching prism.
For Xiaomi, there is no report on how far it has gone with the development of this technology. However, reviews of ZTE’s solution show that its performance is below par. This means that Xiaomi has a lot of work to do if it hopes to use this technology in flagships.
According to reports, this upcoming flagship may not necessarily be a successor for the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. There are reports that it may succeed the Xiaomi Mi 10T series. Furthermore, this device may also come with Xiaomi’s 120W ultra-fast charging technology as well as its 70W fast-wireless charging. It is also important to note that a new regulation in China may prevent smartphones from using above 50W wireless fast charging. If this regulation becomes law, this flagship may be forced to use 50W wireless charging at least in China.