Xiaomi 18 Pro could break another photography record

The latest leaks from China suggest that Xiaomi has no intention of slowing down the megapixel race.

If until today the attention had been focused almost exclusively on the rear sensors, a new leak published by Digital Chat Station on Weibo shifts the spotlight to the front of the device.

The upcoming Xiaomi 18 Pro could indeed be the first smartphone to mount a front camera of as much as 100 MP, a figure that would set an absolute record for the mobile sector.

Xiaomi 18 Pro, the first 100 MP front-facing camera ever?

The integration of a 100 MP sensor into a front-facing module represents a notable technical hurdle. While rear cameras enjoy more room to maneuver, the selfie camera must manage to shoot from a display hole of extremely small size.

To achieve this feat, Xiaomi engineers would be working on a custom sensor with extremely small pixels.

Typically, high-end sensors use pixels of about 1.2 microns to ensure good light capture. Maintaining these dimensions at a 100 MP resolution would make the sensor physically too large for the front of a smartphone.

The miniaturization is therefore the only feasible path, but it brings with it consequences on image quality that cannot be ignored.

The RYYB solution

Reducing pixel size means, physically, a lower capacity to capture light. This often translates to noisy or poorly detailed images in low-light conditions, negating the advantage of the high resolution.

To address this problem, Xiaomi could adopt a technology already seen in the past on some competing flagships: the RYYB color filter.

Most sensors use an RGB matrix (Red, Green, Blue). Replacing the green pixels with yellow ones, the sensor is able to absorb a greater amount of light, compensating for the reduced size of the photodiodes.

If this rumor is confirmed, Xiaomi would aim to balance the enormous megapixel count with light sensitivity sufficient to guarantee selfie quality even at night.

Two hundred MP on the rear?

The rear hardware would not be left behind either. Rumors describe a rear module just as aggressive, featuring a dual 200 MP camera.

It is likely that this configuration includes the main sensor and a telephoto for zoom, consolidating the brand’s reputation after the excellent results achieved with Xiaomi 17 Ultra.

With the likely price increase for flagship devices in 2027, it will be interesting to see whether users will perceive these 100 MP front cameras as a tangible added value or whether they would have preferred investments elsewhere, perhaps targeted at battery life or overall system efficiency.

For now, the sensor is still in testing and it’s not guaranteed to arrive in the final version, but the direction the company is taking seems clear: push the hardware beyond current limits.