In 2020, in addition to developing 5G-capable phones, Xiaomi's not hidden goal is to catch Huawei in some markets and surpass it in camera capabilities.
The Huawei brand essentially burst into the public consciousness with the P9. It was the start of a long-term partnership with Leica that brought success to the Chinese company. However, Huawei was not the first phone manufacturer to find it more sensible (and probably more cost-effective) to pair a quality lens with an image sensor bought from an external partner. Nokia had an agreement with Carl Zeiss long before, as had Samsung, and a long time ago it acquired the Schneider-KREUZNACH.
All three are long-established German companies who became famous for their quality lenses back in the 19th century. But instead of a photographic history, let's get back to the point.
In a poll on Xiaomi's Weibo page, Xiaomi asked its fans which of the three manufacturers they would prefer to see as a partner in camera development.
Canon, Nikon, Hasselblad.... Who can Xiaomi work with?
These three companies are Canon, Nikon and Hasselblad. Fourth option is the "no cooperation needed", which received the third most votes based on the snapshot.
Canon and Nikon are Japanese companies and Hasselblad is Swedish, most Chinese are probably not even aware of what they have brought to the table over the past decades.
The final result of the vote (in source ), Hasselblad won by over 4000 votes. - I would have voted for them myself.
The Hasselblad is no stranger to the mobile industry, as Motorola was already a partner in a Moto Mod project that seemed marketable at the time, but the modular solution has so far been a challenge for every phone manufacturer.
The Hasselblad (Founded in 1841; in Photó terms, from 1940), its history goes back quite a long way. There is probably no one in the photography community who has not heard of them. The manufacturer has been awarded the title of "the best camera in the world", to this day there is a layer of people around the world who prefer to use one of their models for photography.
The Xiaomi is therefore willing to collaborate, it would like to rely on an established manufacturer with a proven track record - and vast experience - to improve the quality of its smartphone cameras, both in terms of capturing and processing image information. To do this, alongside Sony, Samsung (and OmniVision...) sensors, they will need a well-known brand with which they can remain competitive in the future.
Although the quality of the cameras in the 2019 range was almost impeccable, especially the Mi Note 10/Pro, it's important that improvements are continuous and the manufacturer stays ahead of the competition. To do this, the most sensible decision is to partner with a partner.
Which manufacturer Xiaomi will finally conclude this strategic agreement with, we hope to write soon.
Leave your opinion in the comments, which manufacturer you would like to see as a partner of Xiaomi. (Obviously, only those who are not currently working with the competition are eligible.)
