Tag Archives: Leica

Xiaomi 14 Announced; Runs on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 & Hyper OS

Xiaomi has just unleashed its latest flagship smartphone series known as the Xiaomi 14 series. Xiaomi’s latest devices have a new OS – Hyper OS – and is the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU.

Xiaomi 14 14 Pro

The Xiaomi 14 Pro is equipped with a 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display. This screen is brighter than our future with an obscene 3,000nits brightness. It also comes with a 1440 x 3200 pixels resolution that gives it a pixel density of 522ppi and a 120Hz refresh rate. The smartphone itself comes with a durable Ceramic Glass finish. It also comes with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ compatibility. The Xiaomi 14 Pro also has Dolby Atmos stereo speakers for an immersive audio experience.

Under the hood, the Xiaomi 14 series comes with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It’s the first smartphone to have it hot off its announcement at the recent Snapdragon Summit. The processor is complemented with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of internal storage.

The series also supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and NFC. It has a whopping 4,800mAh battery capable of fast charging of 120W. It also supports 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging. Did we forget? It’s also got IP68 water- and dust resistance.  

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Xiaomi 14 Pro’s camera setup boasts one of the first to sport a breakthrough 50-megapixel “Light Hunter 900” primary sensor. The sensor is equipped with OIS and features a variable aperture and a Leica Summilux lens. The setup also includes a floating 40-megapixel telephoto lens with OIS and 3.2x optical zoom and a 50-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. The front camera is a 32-megapixel sensor. Video lovers will adore the variable aperture’s f/1.42 to f/4 range and 8K resolution at 24fps.

The vanilla version of the Xiaomi 14 has a 6.36-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 3,000 nits’ peak brightness as well as density pixels of 460ppi. The image resolution is 1200 x 2670 pixels. It also supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos stereo speakers remain. This one is IP68-rated for water and dust resistance like the Pro and sports an under-display fingerprint scanner. It has a 4,610mAh battery that supports 90W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging.

The Xiaomi 14’s main camera is equipped with a 50-megapixel Light Hunter 900 sensor, a 50-megapixel wide-angle sensor, and a 50MP telephoto sensor with 3.2X optical zoom making. Its 32MP selfie camera supports 8K 24p video however unlike the Pro it does not come with variable aperture.

Pricing & Availability

The Xiaomi 14 series is currently priced only for the China region with 14 Pro costing:

Variant Price (CNY)Converted Pricing (MYR)
12GB RAM + 256 GB storageCNY4,999MYR3,266.38
16GB RAM + 512 GB storageCNY5,499MYR3,590.88
16GB RAM + 1TB storage CNY5,999MYR3,917.38

While the Vanilla version costs:

Variant Price (CNY)Converted Pricing (MYR)
8GB RAM + 256GB storageCNY3,999MYR2,611.27
12GB RAM + 256 GB storageCNY4,299MYR2,807.16
16GB RAM + 512 GB storageCNY4,599MYR3,002.83
16GB RAM + 1TB storage CNY4,999MYR3,264.00

Both series are available in Black, Jade Green, and White and the regular Xiaomi 14 has a Snow Mountain Pink while the Xiaomi 14 Pro has a Titanium edition.

Stay tuned for more coverage of the Xiaomi 14 series especially when it comes to the international launch.

Xiaomi 13T Series Unleashed with Leica Technology for Your Visual Artistry

Xiaomi just unveiled its latest Xiaomi 13T Series smartphones, and they’re all about helping you take your photography and videography to the next level. Co-engineered with Leica, the Xiaomi 13T Series is touted to deliver stunning images and videos with authentic Leica colours and style.

Camera Technology Co-Engineered with Leica

The Xiaomi 13T Series features a triple camera setup with Summicron lenses from Leica. The main camera is a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens with a 24mm equivalent focal length and a 7P aspherical lens that captures more light and detail. There’s also a 50-megapixel telephoto lens with a 50mm equivalent focal length for close-up shots and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens for landscapes and group photos.

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Xiaomi’s new Custom photographic styles feature in Pro mode lets you adjust Tone, Tonality, and Texture at the preset stage, so you can retain more details and colours for post-processing. You can also save your favourite presets for your own unique look.

With the Xiaomi 13T Pro, you can shoot videos in 10-bit LOG 4:2:0 H.265. This format gives you more control over colour and detail in post-production. The pre-installed Rec.709 LUT gives you an added professional touch for better colour accuracy and visual depth. You can also import your own LUT styles. The camera is also capable of 8K video recording, you can capture every memory in more detail than ever.

Long Battery Life, Crisp Visuals and Dolby Atmos

The Xiaomi 13T Series features a 6.67-inch CrystalRes Display with a 144Hz refresh rate and 1.5K resolution  (2712 x 1220 pixels). The display is also incredibly bright, with a peak brightness of 2600 nits. With 100% DCI-P3 gamut coverage and support for 68 billion colours, you’ll get stunning visuals with accurate colours and vibrant contrast. Completing the media experience is the built-in dual speakers that has Dolby Atmos support.

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The Xiaomi 13T Series is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ chipset in the Pro model and the MediaTek Dimensity 8200-Ultra in the standard model. Both chipsets should offer excellent performance and power efficiency. Powering this is a 5000mAh battery that supports Xiaomi’s 120W HyperCharge. This allows you to get 100% charge in under 20 minutes on the 13t Pro. The regular Xiaomi 13T, on the other hand, comes with a 5,000mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging.

Stylish with Substance

The Xiaomi 13T Series features a sleek and contemporary design. The Alpine Blue model has a premium Xiaomi BioComfort vegan leather back panel with a soft and delicate texture. Also along for the ride are the Meadow Green and Black models that come with glossy finishes. Both smartphones are tough and durable complete with IP68 water and dust resistance.

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Together with a tough, stylish build. The Xiaomi 13T series comes with a guarantee for security and Android updates. Xiaomi is committed to providing four generations of Android OS upgrades and five years of security patches.

Pricing and Availability

The Xiaomi 13T Series will be available for pre-order from September 27 to October 6, 2023. The Xiaomi 13T Pro price starts at MYR2,499, while the Xiaomi 13T starts at RM1,799.

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Those who purchase a Xiaomi 13T series smartphone during the pre-order will get a premium package. This consists of free screen replacement (within six months upon purchase) worth RM 299; 100GB cloud storage on Google One for 6 months, and 1+1 years of extended warranty.

In addition to this, purchases made in-store or through Xiaomi’s online stores will be getting some freebies. The freebies are listed in the table below with the available variants and pricing for each.

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Source: Xiaomi Malaysia

Xiaomi 13T & Xiaomi 13T Pro Set for Debut on 26 September 2023

Xiaomi has officially announced that the Xiaomi 13T series will launch on September 26 2023. The event will be held in Berlin, Germany, and will be live-streamed on Mi.com. This lineup is co-engineered with Leica, promising Leica filters and other camera enhancements in the default camera app. However, Xiaomi has not revealed how many smartphones will be included in this series.

https://twitter.com/Xiaomi/status/1698999412280754610

What We Expect

Both the Xiaomi 13T and 13T Pro will boast a 6.67-inch OLED display with a 144 Hz refresh rate and a remarkable maximum brightness of 2,600 nits. These phones will be powered by MediaTek Dimensity 9200 and Dimensity 9200 Plus processors, supported by up to 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of internal storage. Battery capacity is set at 5,000 mAh, and the main camera on the Xiaomi 13T Pro will feature a 50 MP sensor with OIS and an f/1.9 aperture, offering impressive photography capabilities. Other notable specs include a 13 MP ultra-wide camera and a 50 MP telephoto zoom camera, both equipped with OmniVision sensors. Lastly, the front-facing 20 MP camera will sport a Sony IMX596 sensor.

Xiaomi 13T Series Comes with Extended Software Support

Both the Xiaomi 13T and 13T Pro models are promised to receive five years of security updates. This commitment to software support exceeds Google’s three-generation update policy for Pixel phones. The Xiaomi 13T series is expected to ship with Android 13-based MIUI 14 out of the box, with the potential for updates up to Android 17.

Xiaomi 13 series Comes to Malaysia Complete with the 1-inch Leica Sensor

Leica is back in the international smartphone arena thanks to its new partnership with Xiaomi. With its initial offering, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra only officially being rolled out in Mainland China, the Xiaomi 13 marks the brand’s return to the ecosystem. The new Xiaomi 13 series crowning feature is the Leica Vario-Summicron 1:19-2.2/14-75 ASPH camera system which comes on the 13 Pro.

The Xiaomi 13 series comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB internal memory. Of course, the Xiaomi 13 series comes with two entries in Malaysia (for now): the Xiaomi 13 and the Xiaomi 13 Pro. The two entries come with a few differences that distinguish the smartphones from each other. The most significant of which the Leica Vario-Summicron 1:19-2.2/14-75 ASPH camera system.

The Pro comes with a triple camera array for the main camera complete with Leica lenses. The setup consists of the 1-inch, 50.3-megapixel Sony IMX989 with an f/1.8 aperture and 23mm focal length. It equipped with dual pixel phase detection autofocus (PDAF), Laser Autofocus and optical image stabilization (OIS). This is complemented with a 50-megapixel telephoto lens with 3.2x optical zoom and PDAF. Completing the triple sensor setup is a 50-megapixel utlra-wide sensor with autofocus. On the front, the smartphone comes with a 32-megapixel selfie camera.

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The vanilla 13 comes with a triple sensor setup with a main 50-megapixel main sensor with PDAF and OIS complemented with a 10-megapixel telephoto sensor and a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor. On the front is the same 32-megapixel sensor.

Leica isn’t just lending its lenses to Xiaomi for the Xiaomi 13 series, they’re helping with the software. The 13 and 13 Pro both come with the master lens system, a software features which provides better, more granular control to the focal length and depth of field for better portrait photos. In addition to this, the software comes with two distinct photographic styles: Leica Authentic Look and Leica Vibrant Look. These paired with Xiaomi’s own Imaging Engine culminate in Xiaomi’s strongest computational photography flagship.

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Of course, with all these photography features, the two smartphones come with powerful displays with up to 120Hz refresh rate.

Pricing & Availability

The Xiaomi 13 Series will be available in Malaysia starting on March 8th 2023.

The Xiaomi 13 will be available in three colours – Black, White and Flora Green. Only one variant will be available in Malaysia 12GB RAM with 256GB of internal storage. Prices start at MYR3,499.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro will be available in two colours: Ceramic Black and Ceramic White. Two variants of the 13 Pro will be avaiable 12RAM with 256GB of internal storage and a special, limited edition 12GB RAM with 512GB internal storage. The former will be priced from MYR4,699 while the limited edition will be on sale for MYR 4,999.

The Xiaomi 13 series will be available for pre-order starting on February 27, 2023 until March 7, 2023. Packages and pricing are as follows:

ProductPriceE-commercePre-order Deals(Feb 27 – Mar 7)Xiaomi Store Pre-order Deals(Feb 27 – Mar 7)Open sales Deals(Mar 8 onwards)
Xiaomi 13 (12GB+256GB)RM3,499RM699 off e-voucher Lazada | ShopeeFREEXiaomi TV P1 43” (worth RM 1,799)FREERedmi Buds 4 (worth RM 239)
Xiaomi 13 Pro (12GB+256GB)RM 4,599RM799 off e-voucher Lazada | ShopeeFREEFree Xiaomi TV A2 58” (worth RM 2,799)FREERedmi Buds 4 (worth RM 239)
Xiaomi 13 Pro (12GB+512GB)Limited Edition PackageRM 5,999FREEXiaomi Watch S1 Pro, Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro, Xiaomi 33W PowerBank 10,000mAh Pocket Edition Pro (total worth of RM 7,469)

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra with Leica Co-Engineering Spearheads Xiaomi’s New Flagship Lineup

Xiaomi took to the stage to announce their new flagship series – the Xiaomi 12S series. The series has multiple entries and has the Xiaomi 12S Ultra as its centrepiece. The new flagship is the first device in what looks to be a long-term partnership with Leica when it comes to imaging and photography.

You’re Gonna Leica this – the Leica Summicron 1:1.9-4.1 / 13-120 ASPH. camera system

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra comes with the Leica Summicron 1:1.9-4.1 / 13-120 ASPH. camera system. Yep – that’s a mouthful. The new co-engineered system marries Leica’s camera technology with Xiaomi’s smartphone prowess. It’s a Triple sensor setup with the new, 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor as the main sensor. The 50.3-megapixel sensor comes with Quad Bayer technology which promises better image capture in both low- and normal lighting and an aperture of f/1.9. It also comes with Octa-phase detection Autofocus which apparently allows it to focus faster. The main sensor is complemented by a 48-megapixel f/2.2 Sony IMX586 ultra-wide sensor and a 48-megapixel f/4.1 Sony IMX586 periscope sensor. These sensors also use Quad Bayer technology.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra Camera specs
Source: Xiaomi

The main sensor uses an 8P Aspherical Lens. This helps reduce glares and also helps with imaging performance overall. All of the sensors have Pixel binning which increases the quality of the photos taken by the camera thanks to an even larger hybrid pixel size. Binning essentially creates larger pixels by combining four pixels in the sensor. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra also comes with HyperOIS technology and boasts even better image stabilization thanks to an innovative approach of taking the time between images (7ms) to stabilize and reset the sensor.

  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra Lens
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra Leica Photography Styles

In addition to the hardware, Xiaomi and Leica have worked together in developing the software. The result? Two shooting modes that bring Leica’s signature elements into your smartphone. The “Leica Authentic Look” hearkens back to Leica’s signature aesthetic. It brings the vibrancy of true-to-life colours and the depth and emotion of Leica’s surrealism. The resulting photos are colourful or monochrome with a sense of depth. Xiaomi and Leica’s collaboration is more apparent with the “Leica Vibrant Look”. This look brings Xiaomi’s know-how with mobile cameras to Leica’s signature aesthetic. The resulting pictures are more vibrant and work to capture the feel of the moment.

Partnering with Adobe and Dolby

Keeping photography centerstage, Xiaomi and Leica have also worked with Adobe to enable RAW capture on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. The RAW capture on the 12S Ultra allows you to capture your images in DNG format preserving all the image data so you can edit and manipulate the image on programs like Adobe Lightroom. Adobe Lightroom will come equipped with a special profile for the 12S Ultra which will allow it to show you the actual image captured without you tinkering. Lightroom will be able to load the profile automatically from the image metadata.

When it comes to video capture, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is the first smartphone to come with the ability to capture Dolby Vision HDR video. This brings a wider colour depth to video than HDR10+, allowing you to impart more emotion and character to your video shots. It will also help with low light performance.

Still Powered by Cutting Edge Tech

While it may seem like the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is all about the camera, the series still comes packed with cutting-edge technology under the hood. The whole Xiaomi 12S series runs on the new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform which ups the performance of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 by nearly 10%. The new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is fabricated with TSMC’s new 4nm node which allows for better energy efficiency with a 21% smaller core and 10% boost in both CPU and GPU performance.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra Specs
Source: Xiaomi

Xiaomi has also equipped the Xiaomi 12S series with a brand new cooling system which it touts as more efficient than currently available vapour cooling systems. The technology mimics the hydrostatic system of a leaf and its capillaries. This mimicry allows the system to dissipate heat more effectively and quicker than traditional vapour cooling systems. In fact, Xiaomi is touting a 100% better thermal conductivity.

The Xiaomi 12S series comes with a Samsung AMOLED display with 2K resolution. The panel comes with an E5 material which helps increase brightness. The display has a peak brightness of 1,500nits. On the 12S Ultra, the display comes with 1-120Hz AdaptiveSync Pro which allows it to hit 1Hz refresh rates when viewing text and 120Hz when gaming. The other regular 12S and the 12S Pro come with 120Hz AdaptiveSync. Across the board, the displays are calibrated with 100% coverage of the P3 colour gamut and support Dolby Vision.

Xiaomi 12S Pro Combination 3
Xiaomi 12S Pro Source: Xiaomi

The smartphones come equipped with Dual 5g connectivity with a 4×4 MIMO modem. They also support Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 with support for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon sound and aptX Adaptive.

The smartphones come with Xiaomi’s Surge G1 Battery Management chip and the Surge P1 fast-charging chips. These chips work in tandem to help preserve battery health while extending battery life and reducing charging time. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra comes with a 4,860 mAh single cell, silicon-oxygen anode battery which supports 16A output current. The Ultra supports 67W wired fast charging, 50W wireless fast charging and 10W reverse fast charging. The Pro sports a smaller 4,600mAh with support for 120W wired fast charging and 50W wireless fast charging. The regular 12S comes with an even smaller 4,500mAh battery which has support for 67W wired and 50W Wireless.

Pricing & Availability

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra will be available in Mainland China in the near future. It will be available in Classic Black and Verdant Green. It’s will be available in three variants 8GB+256GB, 12GB+256GB and 12GB+512GB. The 8GB+256GB version will be priced at CNY5999 (MYR3,951.18) while the 12GB + 256GB will retail at CNY6,499 (MYR4,280.08) and the 12GB+512GB version will be priced at CNY6,999 (MYR4,609.82).

The Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro will be available in 8GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB, 12GB + 256GB and 12GB + 512GB variants. Pricing for the 12S starts at CNY3,999 (MYR2,633.90) for the 12S while the 12S Pro will start at CNY4,699 (MYR3,096.10).

Xiaomi and Leica’s Partnership is Real – First Devices to Feature Leica Branding Coming 4th July 2022

A few months ago, we heard a rumour. A little bird said that Leica is looking for a partnership with a mobile manufacturer. We heard that they are looking into another partnership with a different Chinese manufacturer at the time, Xiaomi. For a few months after that, the rumour seemed dead, quiet.

Leijun, the current CEO of Xiaomi global, today just confirmed that the rumours a few months ago was true after all. There were no big announcements too, no press releases. It is just a simple twitter post that also teases a 4th of July 2022 launch date for the Xiaomi 12S Series flagship smartphones. It is happening at 7pm at GMT +8 next week, which is good for us in Malaysia.

There is not too much that we know about the Xiaomi 12S series. To be fair, Xiaomi has not teased much about it and has been keeping mums about it quite well. Still there are a few things we may be able to expect out of the new flagship devices.

You can expect Qualcomm’s latest Snadragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip fitted into the new devices. It will effectively be the first devices in the world to pack Qualcomm’s new generation system on a chip (SoC). Technically at launch too, it will be the most powerful Android device available in the market.

You can expect up to 12GB of RAM too in the most premium variant of the Xiaomi 12S alongside up to 256GB of storage. In terms of display, you should get up to 120Hz in refresh rate, the highest you can sort of get in smartphones today anyway. Like Xiaomi teased a long time ago too, fast charging will still be a thing with the new device with up to 120W in charging speeds.

Of course, the Xiaomi 12S will be an Android 12 device at launch. It should be upgradable to Android 13 when it is available from Xiaomi. As with any other Xiaomi flagship that came before, it will come installed with MIUI 13 based on Android 12 too.

There are no confirmations on what prices the devices will launch with. There is also nothing to indicate its availability date in different regions. We are hoping that Malaysia will be in the list of countries that gets the Xiaomi 12S devices first. The Xiaomi 12S, with Leica’s co-engineered camera sounds a lot like a treat, and we are excited for it.

Tech & Tonic S2E10 – Are Proper Cameras Still Relevant in 2021?

Smartphone cameras have been on a roll in the past two years. OnePlus launches their OnePlus 9 flagship series in partnership with Hasselblad, OPPO’s Find X3 Pro comes with a microscopic lens, Samsung pushing technology with 108-Megapixel sensors, Sony even pushing the limits of their 12-Megapixel sensors with their Alpha camera knowhow. These are nothing new, to be fair. Co-branding smartphone cameras with big camera brand names started with Nokia and Zeiss. The phenomenon hit the main stage with HUAWEI and Leica’s big partnership since the HUAWEI P9.

With the advancement in camera technology on smartphones though, has these brands made proper cameras obsolete? While nothing bigger sensor still has its own advantages in terms of low-light performance and detail, smartphone cameras have progressed so much with the software that they are paired with that even low-light photography is a breeze with a smartphone. The advancement of smartphone technology also made it easier for you to get the shots you want in less time and less work than a DSLR or mirrorless.

What does this mean for dedicated cameras though? Does this mean we can replace these kinds of stuff with the small slate in our pockets? Or, should you still spend your hard-earned money on a proper camera that could set you back anywhere between half the price of a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra to multiple flagship smartphones? We discuss this in this episode of Tech & Tonic.

HUAWEI Mate40 Pro Finally Arrives in Malaysia

HUAWEI’s latest flagship is finally making its way to Malaysia! Announced earlier this year in October, the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro made its debut alongside its sibling, the Mate40. However, the latest and greatest in HUAWEI’s flagship has been taking its time to make its way anywhere – at no fault of HUAWEI *cough*trade embargo*cough .

The HUAWEI Mate40 Pro comes with HUAWEI’s latest HiSilicon Kirin 9000 which comes equipped with 5G connectivity on both mmWave and sub6 bandwidths. It also comes with 6.76-inch, 90Hz, OLED display and 8GB of RAM. This is complemented with 256GB of internal storage expandable with HUAWEI’s proprietary NM Card. The Mate40 Pro comes with a tiple-camera setup developed in collaboration Leica. This consists of a 50-megapixel wide sensor, a 12-megapixel periscopic sensor and a 20-megapixel ultrawide sensor capable of up to 50x digital zoom.

The HUAWEI Mate40 Pro will be going on sale in Malaysia starting on 12 December 2020. The device will be available in Mystic Silver and will be retailing for MYR4,299 (USD$1055.82*). During the first sale, HUAWEI is offering up to MYR3,300 worth of freebies with every purchase of the Mate40 Pro.

The first 1000 units of the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro will be entitled to a free HUAWEI Sound X (worth MYR1,299) which is to be redeemed between 18 December and 20 December 2020 from the HUAWEI Member Center. Aside from this, all purchases will be entitled to 3 month’s subscription of both DimSum, a three-month subscription of HUAWEI Video+, 50% spending rebate with HUAWEI Pay, 50GB of HUAWEI Cloud Storage, a free e-book on HUAWEI Book and exclusive Mate40 Pro deals from the HUAWEI Member Centre worth up to MYR1,800. Of course, these freebies are subject to terms and conditions.

*USD rate taken on 7 December 2020 at a rate of 1 USD = 4.07172 MYR