Xiaomi, since its inception, has pursued the forefront of photographic innovation in smartphones. This while offering a differentiating user experience.
Now, more than a decade of dedication has translated into profound achievements in the evolution of smartphone photography. Here both at the hardware and software level, from its MIUI to the processing algorithms and AI.
Xiaomi’s vision for computational photography
in 2017Xiaomi introduced one of the world’s first 12MP camera smartphones, the Mi 6, with 2X optical zoom, 1.25μm pixels and four-axis OIS.
in 2018A dedicated R&D team was created to accelerate the advancement of smartphone photography.
In March 2022Xiaomi once again shook up the industry with the Xiaomi 12 series, featuring multiple advances in computational photography. This includes advanced features based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) such as Xiaomi ProFocus, Ultra Night Photography and Night Mode.
More recently, in july 2022Xiaomi introduced the Xiaomi 12S series kicking off the strategic partnership in imaging technology between Xiaomi and Leica.
These previews only show a small part of Xiaomi’s dedication to smartphone photography.
The role of algorithms in digital image processing
One of Xiaomi’s standout achievements in smartphone photography is its night mode algorithm. Something that allows you to shoot smoothly even in low-light environments.
Lei Lei, director of the Algorithms Department, and his team have received wide recognition in this area. Here, from both the public and professional photography community, receiving awards at events like NTIRE 2022 (New Trends in Image Restoration and Enhancement).
To learn more about the vision behind Xiaomi’s computational photography unit and the internal methodologies of the AI Image Algorithms team, we asked Lei Lei to share some of her experience.
Simple questions with complex answers
Lei Lei’s team began their exploration with a simple question. “How can we get users to take consistently good photos, regardless of lighting conditions?”
“What we were trying to do was deliver a smart and easy-to-use photography experience based on a deep understanding of users’ photography habits,” says Lei Lei,
“All AI imaging technologies in Xiaomi smartphones are designed to allow users to capture images and videos with an ever-closer eye on themselves,” it adds.
Lei Lei describes her approach as “aesthetic exploration”. At Xiaomi, all imaging engineers believe that the user experience is driven by subjective “aesthetic preferences”.
Thus, the interpretation of these aesthetic preferences has been one of the main topics on the agenda. Solving this puzzle requires a complex combination of image engineering and detail processing.
In short, it strives to improve contrast ratios, white balance, and AI learning. All of this to ensure that users can capture images and videos exactly as they envisioned them.
Success in R&D vs. High user experience
“While it is truly gratifying to see our innovations incorporated into new products, every time we start a new project, what motivates us most is not R&D success,” notes Lei Lei, “
What motivates us most is to see how our technologies can help people solve everyday problems and improve their lives. I am convinced that this is a value that all Xiaomi imaging engineers will subscribe to.”
in 2018Photography has become one of the most in-demand features on smartphones, and major manufacturers have begun to allocate much of their resources to photography and video research.
As a leading brand in the industry, Xiaomi has contributed to this technological trend by introducing products equipped with state-of-the-art photography and video capabilities to the mass market.
These features include some of the largest smartphone photography lenses in the industry, as well as innovative AI features.
The importance of AI in Xiaomi’s computational photography
Xiaomi’s AI algorithms are designed and optimized by product, always keeping in mind the needs of consumers.
“The idea to develop computational photography features, including Night Mode, grew out of our simple observation that images taken in low-light conditions rarely meet user expectations for quality. This is compounded by the fact that it is a fairly common photograph, for example, when going out at night with friends,” says Lei Lei.
night mode It was developed with a clear purpose. Enable users to capture clear, sharp images while reducing noise level when shooting with light level as low as 0.1 Lux. That is, roughly equal to shooting with just the full moon as the light source.
“Aiming high and walking into territory that almost no brand has explored before was a huge challenge for us. At the time, no one knew how long it would take to get to the expected destination. What we did was keep moving towards our goal. Not as individuals, but as a team, respecting science, being open to new knowledge and constantly encouraging each other.”