108 megapixels in Xiaomi smartphones: marketing or breakthrough in photography?

When Xiaomi first introduced the 108 megapixel smartphone, it was a sensation. The manufacturers promised a “mobile photography revolution,” but in practice many users still don’t understand what really gives such high resolution. In this article, we’ll look at how the 108 MP sensor works, what Xiaomi models use it, and most importantly, whether to overpay for these megapixels.

It's worth clarifying right away: 108 MP ≠ is automatic photo quality improvement. It's not a magic button that turns your shots into professional ones. Resolution is just one of many factors that affect the final image. We'll go into detail on how Xiaomi uses this technology, what pros and cons it has, and in what scenarios it's really useful.

What is 108 megapixels and how does it work?

A megapixel is a million pixels, the dots that make up a photograph. So 108 MP means that the sensor can capture 108 million pixels in a single shot. By comparison, standard smartphones typically have 12-48 MP sensors.

But there’s an important caveat: Xiaomi uses pixel binning technology in most cases, which means that four physical pixels are combined into one “superpixel” to improve light sensitivity, so by default, the smartphone takes pictures not at 108 MP, but at 27 MP (4:1), but with better detail and less noise.

• 🔍 No binning: Real 108 MP, but more noise and worse low light performance.
• 🌓 With 4:1:27 MP binning, but better light sensitivity and dynamic range.
• 📸 With a 9:1:12 MP binning, maximum light efficiency (used in night mode).

Xiaomi gives the user a choice: you can manually turn on the camera settings in full 108 MP, but this only makes sense in ideal lighting conditions.

Daytime outside |Indoors |Night |Selfi |Documents/scans-->

Which Xiaomi models have a 108 MP camera?

Xiaomi’s first smartphone with a 108-MP sensor was the flagship Mi Note 10 (2019), which used the Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor. Since then, the technology has evolved, and now 108 MPs are found in different series of the brand – from budget to premium models.

Interestingly, Xiaomi uses different versions of the 108 MP sensors. For example, the Samsung HMX (in flagships) is larger and better in low light than the Samsung HM2 (in budget models).This means that even within the Xiaomi lineup, the quality of photos at 108 MP can be very different.

⚠️ Warning: Not all 108MP cameras are the same! Budget smartphones (like the Redmi Note 10 Pro) use a simplified version of the sensor without the advanced processing algorithms that flagships like the Xiaomi 12 Pro have.

Pros and cons of 108 megapixels in real use

Let’s honestly assess the advantages of the 108 MP camera and the challenges that can be faced.

Advantages:

• 📏 Detail: With good lighting, images can be multiplied several times without loss of quality (useful for text, landscapes, architecture).
• 🎨 Post-processing flexibility: A large margin of resolution allows you to crop the photo and adjust the perspective.
• 🌅 Dynamic range: With binning, the sensor is better at contrasting scenes (e.g., sunsets against dark objects).
• 🔍 Digital zoom: 108 MP allows you to make high-quality zoom without a physical telephoto lens (although it still gives way to an optical one).

Disadvantages:

• 🐢 File size: One photo in a full 108 MP can weigh 20-40 MB (versus 3-8 MB for 12 MP images).
• 🔋 CPU load: Processing such photos requires more resources, which can lead to overheating and rapid battery discharge.
• 🌑 Noise in the dark: Without binning, night shots are very grainy.
• 📱 Screen limitations: On most smartphones, the difference between 12 MP and 108 MP is not noticeable due to the pixel density of the display.

Critical detail: 90% of the time, the smartphone automatically saves 12-27 MP photos, and the full 108 MPs are turned on only manually, which means that by default you do not get the "those" megapixels that the ads say.

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If you want a real 108 MP, go to the → 108 MP resolution in Xiaomi camera settings and turn on the option. But remember, these photos will take up a lot of space and last longer.

108 MP vs 48/12 MP: Which is better in practice?

To understand whether to overpay for 108 megapixels, compare them with the more common sensors at 48 and 12 MP. For the test, take three popular Xiaomi models:

• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro (108 MP, Samsung HM2)
• Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite (64 MP, Sony IMX682)
• iPhone 13 (12 MP, Apple ProRAW)

Results (according to DXOMark experts and tests):

• 🌞 Daylight: 108 MPs win in detail, but only at 100% magnification. On a smartphone screen, the difference is minimal.
• 🌃 Low light: The 12MP iPhone sensor shows better light sensitivity thanks to its large pixels (1.9 μm vs 0.7 μm at 108 MP without binning).
• 🎞️ Video: Sensor resolution has almost no effect on video quality — stabilization and bitrate are more important.
• 📏 Zoom: 108 MP allows for lossless 2x-3x digital zoom, but is inferior to optics (e.g. 5x zoom in Mi 10 Ultra).

The conclusion: 108 MP is only justified if you often print photos in large format or crop pictures. For everyday shooting and social networks, 12-48 MP with good optics and processing is enough.

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The main advantage of 108 MP is the future. Today you may not notice the difference, but in 5-10 years, these photos will be easier to restore or zoom in without loss.

How to take a 108 megapixel photo?

If you decide to use full resolution, follow these guidelines to get the best quality possible:

Use a tripod or stable surface|Turn off digital zoom (better to crop later)|Film in format RAW (if maintained)|Avoiding movement in the frame|Check the lighting (minimum 500 lux)-->

It is important to understand that the 108 MP mode requires ideal conditions:

• 💡 Lighting: At <500 Luxury (Overcast, Room) turn on binning or night mode.
• 📐 Focus: Use manual focusing for macro or complex scenes.
• 🗃️ Storage: One photo takes ~30MB – stock up on a memory card UHS-II.

To shoot in RAW (if your model supports), go to Camera Settings → Format → RAW. This will give you more post-processing options, but the files will weigh even more.

⚠️ Warning: When shooting at 108 MP, turn off HDR — it can degrade detail due to multiple exposures. Better take two shots (with HDR and without) and then choose the best one.

Should Xiaomi buy a 108MP camera in 2026?

At the time of writing (2026), 108 megapixels are no longer a unique feature — such sensors are available in Samsung, Motorola and even some budget brands.

Here’s who really should consider smartphones with 108 MP:

• 📷 Amateur photographers: if you often type photos or take large crops.
• 🌆 Travelers: for landscape and architecture photography, followed by magnification.
• 📄 Students/office workers: to scan documents in high resolution.

Who should not overpay:

• 🤳 Selfie Amateurs: Front-facing cameras rarely exceed 20-32 MP.
• 🎥 Video bloggers: Videos are more about stabilizing and microphone than photo resolution.
• 🌙 Night photographers: In dark time, 108 MPs play to sensors with large pixels (e.g., 12 MPs with a 2.4 μm pixel).

Price range 108-MP smartphones Xiaomi in 2026:

• Redmi Note 12 Pro+ — from 25 000 ₽ (budget version).
• Xiaomi 13T Pro — from 55,000 ₽ (premium camera with Leica).
• POCO F5 Pro — from 35,000 ₽ (game flagship with 108 MP).

Alternatives to 108 megapixels in Xiaomi

If you’re not convinced of the benefits of 108 MP, consider other camera options in Xiaomi smartphones that may be better suited to your tasks:

Note the Xiaomi 13 Ultra — despite “only” 50 MP, this smartphone bypasses many 108 MP models thanks to its large sensor (1 inch) and Leica optics. This is a clear example of the fact that megapixels are not a major indicator of quality.

FAQ: Frequent questions about 108 megapixels in Xiaomi