More than half of 2024 has passed, and the smartphone market has witnessed one technological feast after another. Among them, "imaging" can be said to be the most important technological direction pursued by various brands in the first half of this year.

Looking back at the first half of 2024, the development of smartphone imaging technology has been rapid. According to data from market research firm Counterpoint Research, image flagship phones accounted for 35% of the global high-end smartphone market share, representing a year-on-year increase of 12%. Behind these figures lies the strong demand from consumers for high-quality imaging and the significant investment by major manufacturers in technological research and development. Xiaomi, Samsung, vivo, Huawei, and other brands have released their latest image flagship models, each with unique technological highlights, leading the industry trend.

It is not difficult to see that for mobile phone brands, creating an image flagship has become a necessary condition for establishing a high-end brand image. After years of intense competition, the competition in the image flagship market is no longer limited to the comparison of hardware parameters but also extends to the deep integration of image algorithms, user experience, and ecosystems among major brands. For instance, most of the image flagships released in the first half of this year mentioned the assistance of AI big models in mobile imaging. With the continuous advancement of AI technology, image flagship phones will continue to play a pivotal role in the smartphone market.

So, what are the characteristics of each brand's "image flagship" in the first half of 2024? What are the differences in their respective strategies? As consumers, how should we choose the "super-sized" model that suits us best?

The First Half of the Year for Image Flagships: Frequent Tricks and Heavy Materials

In fact, with the accelerated iteration of Qualcomm and MediaTek flagship chips, most mobile phone brands have scheduled the launch of their flagship series at two specific time points. Taking Xiaomi as an example, Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro were released at the end of 2023, while the genuine image flagship, Xiaomi 14 Ultra, was launched at the beginning of 2024. Therefore, the image flagships in the first half of each year are truly the grand finale.

1. Xiaomi 14 Ultra: AISP Debuts, Leica Imaging Receives a Major Upgrade

In February 2024, Xiaomi officially launched the new-generation image flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra, featuring the all-new Xiaomi Imaging Brain paired with a new Leica four-camera imaging solution, making it the most comprehensive image flagship of the year.

In terms of hardware, Xiaomi 14 Ultra is equipped with a 1-inch primary camera sensor LYT-900, supporting a steplessly variable aperture from F1.63 to F4.0. The other three cameras are all IMX858, used for ultra-wide-angle, 75mm telephoto, and 120mm telephoto, respectively. Compared to its predecessor, the primary improvement lies in the primary camera. LYT-900 utilizes brand-new manufacturing processes and technologies, significantly enhancing continuous imaging speed and increasing dynamic range, enabling Xiaomi 14 Ultra to achieve native 14EV high dynamic range adjustment.

(Image source: Xiaomi)

The most significant upgrade of Xiaomi 14 Ultra lies in its software. The introduction of AISP grants it 60 TOPS of imaging computing power, resulting in superior imaging quality in Leica portrait and telephoto modes. The AISP family brings four computational models: FusionLM, a fusion optical large model; ToneLM, a tone mapping large model; ColorLM, a color large model; and PortraitLM, a portrait large model, covering several crucial components of contemporary photography.

Objectively speaking, Xiaomi 14 Ultra is one of the representative image flagships with both hardware and software enhancements. The upgrades cover several key areas of mobile imaging, while emphasizing the role of AI big models in imaging, such as using large models to supplement details in 30X telephoto shots.

2. OPPO Find X7 Ultra: Hasselblad Masterpiece, Speaking with Tone

Compared to its predecessor, the most significant upgrade of OPPO Find X7 Ultra lies in the addition of a 135mm telephoto lens, activated during 6X zoom. In terms of other imaging hardware, Find X7 Ultra is equipped with a 1-inch Sony LYT-900, IMX890, and LYT-600, corresponding to the primary camera, medium telephoto, and ultra-wide-angle lenses, respectively.

OPPO Find X7 Ultra is the second image flagship this year to adopt a four-camera dual-periscope solution, giving it a significant advantage in medium telephoto imaging. However, it's unfortunate that the IMX858 used for ultra-telephoto range is only 1/2.51 in size with an F4.3 aperture, resulting in inconsistent imaging performance during the night.

(Image source: OPPO)

OPPO's newly launched Hasselblad Master Mode offers both automatic and professional options on this generation of Find X7 Ultra, satisfying users' demand for manual photography playability while preserving Hasselblad's iconic tone as much as possible. Frankly speaking, since partnering with Hasselblad, OPPO has been continuously seeking a balance between computational photography and natural optics. In particular, on Find X7 Ultra, OPPO chooses to use algorithms to eliminate computational traces, a unique style in the current mobile imaging market.

As OPPO's annual image flagship, OPPO Find X7 Ultra has received mixed market evaluations. Initially, due to inadequate software optimization and overconfident pricing, this image flagship did not receive favorable market feedback and sales were mediocre. However, several months after its release, ColorOS underwent significant updates, significantly enhancing the software experience in imaging, fluidity, and system animations. Coupled with a decrease in market price, Find X7 Ultra regained market recognition, demonstrating the power of listening to feedback.

3. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Clear Trade-offs in Hardware, Tone Lags Behind the Mainstream Market

When discussing mobile imaging, Samsung is an inevitable giant. Since the Galaxy S3, Samsung has focused on mobile imaging. What upgrades and trade-offs will it make with the S24?

Galaxy S24 Ultra made some trade-offs in hardware, replacing the multi-generation 10X optical zoom lens with a 5X optical zoom lens. This new telephoto lens is Sony IMX854, featuring a 1/2.51 sensor size and a periscope design. The rest remains consistent with its predecessor, including a 200MP primary camera, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 10MP portrait lens.

(Image source: Samsung)

Samsung's decision to return from the "unusual" 10X telephoto lens to the "mainstream" 5X periscope lens is understandable. As computational photography gradually matures, flagship models unabashedly utilize AI big models to enhance imaging quality beyond optical zoom ranges. In this context, the 10X telephoto lens has become unnecessary. Nevertheless, similar to Apple and Google, Samsung's mobile imaging lacks emphasis on tone in the current mobile imaging landscape, leading many consumers to perceive Galaxy S24 Ultra's tone style as somewhat bland.

Nonetheless, Samsung remains a benchmark in mobile imaging. Despite some hardware trade-offs in Galaxy S24 Ultra, the final results are impressive. Moreover, the significantly higher first-week global pre-orders compared to its predecessor demonstrate that Samsung has chosen the right path.

4. Honor Magic6 Ultimate Edition: LOFIC Technology Debuts, with Enhanced Eagle Eye Capture

As one of the few image flagships this year without the "Ultra" suffix, Honor Magic6 Ultimate Edition's imaging capabilities are often overlooked by consumers. However, it represents one of the most significant technological upgrades among image flagships.

Magic6 Ultimate Edition debuts the H9800 sensor, featuring 50MP, a 1/1.3-inch sensor size, and variable aperture technology from F1.4 to F2.0. More importantly, this primary camera utilizes brand-new LOFIC technology, enabling single-frame high dynamic range photography with a dynamic range of up to 15EV. Simply put, with LOFIC technology, high dynamic range photos can be captured without waiting for multi-frame synthesis, crucial for snapshot photography.

(Image source: Honor)

In terms of other hardware configurations, Magic6 Ultimate Edition boasts a 180MP primary telephoto lens and a 50MP ultra-wide-angle/macro lens.

Honor's approach to imaging differs from the mainstream market. Instead of opting for a 1-inch sensor for its primary camera, it utilizes the LOFIC-equipped H9800 to ensure rapid snapshot capture and high dynamic range. The 180MP telephoto lens ensures high image quality through pixel count, a potential future direction for mobile imaging. However, Honor lacks the ability to "tell a story" in mobile imaging, such as tone and computational photography, which are slightly lacking in Magic6 Ultimate Edition.

5. Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Potentially the "Slimmest" Image Flagship

After rebranding its P series to "Pura," Huawei officially launched the Pura 70 series in April, with Pura 70 Ultra positioned as an image flagship, boasting impressive hardware technology.

Upon its launch, everyone was curious about the primary camera sensor hidden beneath the rotating and retractable lens structure. In reality, this design minimizes lens protrusion while incorporating a 1-inch sensor. Technically, besides the 1-inch primary camera, Pura 70 Ultra is equipped with a 40MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 50MP macro telephoto lens, capable of 35X macro photography with stunning results.

(Image source: Huawei)

Compared to other image flagships, Huawei Pura 70 Ultra's hardware configuration appears more restrained, primarily due to its need to balance imaging with fashion. With mechanical structure support, Pura 70 Ultra controls lens protrusion and grip feel better than competitors.

6. vivo X100 Ultra: The "Thanos" of Imaging, a Late "Super-Sized" Model

As the last to arrive among this batch of image flagships, vivo X100 Ultra offers luxurious hardware: a 1-inch LYT-900 primary camera, a Samsung HP9 200MP periscope telephoto lens, and an LYT-600 ultra-wide-angle lens, forming a three-camera imaging solution worthy of the title "Thanos of Imaging."

Alongside X100 Ultra, vivo also introduced the "Humanistic Street Photography" mode, its first foray into street photography. In this mode, users can experience more professional, film-like camera operations. Similar to Xiaomi, vivo also launched a dedicated photography kit.

(Image source: vivo)

Among the image flagships released this year, vivo has placed the utmost emphasis on imaging. To accommodate the 1-inch primary camera and 200MP periscope telephoto lens, X100 Ultra's Deco protrusion is quite prominent, leading some consumers to complain about its grip feel. Nonetheless, vivo's approach to image flagships differs from competitors, emphasizing high-resolution telephoto lenses and night portrait photography, albeit without the same emphasis on tone as other brands.

X100 Ultra is one of the future trends in mobile imaging, with computational photography and high-resolution telephoto lenses representing the industry's development direction. Had this flagship been released earlier, it might have garnered more market attention.

Overall, the six image flagships released in the first half of this year each have their unique strategies. Xiaomi and OPPO, both featuring four-camera setups with dual telephoto lenses, aim for comprehensiveness and versatility. Huawei and Samsung lack in tone but prioritize instant image capture and immediate visual appeal. As for vivo and Honor, they have developed high-resolution telephoto lenses, successfully leading the market's development direction.

Where Do Image Flagships Go From Here?

Judging from the image flagships released in the first half of this year, we can observe that while each brand follows its development path to refine the imaging experience, a unifying pattern emerges.

On the one hand, there is a consensus on the adoption of large-format main cameras. Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO, and Huawei have all opted for 1-inch large-format main cameras. Large-area sensors offer significant advantages in terms of sensitivity and latitude, and when combined with computational photography, they can achieve impressive pixel cropping effects, making up for the lack of the 35mm and 50mm focal lengths, which are considered golden standards. While Honor and Samsung have not chosen 1-inch sensors, they have achieved similar effects through high-pixel synthesis and LOFIC technology.

(Image source: gadgetbytenepal)

On the other hand, there is the combination of large-format telephoto lenses and multi-focal length sensors. Xiaomi, OPPO, and Samsung have all chosen to equip their flagship cameras with dual telephoto lenses in this generation, with Samsung even abandoning its 10x telephoto lens for the first time in favor of a 5x periscope telephoto lens with a larger sensor. Telephoto lenses make it easier for average consumers to capture impressive shots, and focal lengths between 75mm and 130mm are ideal for shooting landscapes and portraits. As a result, almost all manufacturers are adopting dual telephoto lens solutions to cover as many focal lengths as possible. As for vivo, although it has removed a 2x portrait lens compared to its predecessor, the high resolution offered by the LYT-900 and HP9 sensors is sufficient to fill in the missing focal lengths in between.

(Image source: vivo)

However, there are still some issues that need to be optimized in the current flagship camera phone offerings. For example, the new telephoto sensor in the OPPO Find X7 Ultra has a relatively small area, making it difficult to provide sufficient assistance in low-light conditions. The vivo X100 Ultra relies solely on a high-resolution telephoto lens, with pixel cropping used extensively between 35mm and 85mm. In light of this, Lei believes that finding a balance between focal lengths will be crucial for the next generation of imaging flagships from OPPO and vivo. Meanwhile, Honor, Huawei, and Samsung seem to need to find a unique "imaging story" that suits their brand, establishing a distinctive style in tone and color.

Overall, the mobile phone market has a clear focus at each level: low-end and mid-range phones compete on price, high-end phones aim for versatility, and flagship phones emphasize imaging capabilities. Advances in imaging technology have simplified the creative process in our lives and driven the widespread adoption of smartphones in social media and content creation. As such, the quality of imaging capabilities has indirectly become a key factor in determining whether a phone brand can establish a high-end image.

In the first half of 2024, flagship camera phones from major brands have excelled in areas such as high-pixel sensors, AI-powered computational photography, and multi-focal length shooting capabilities, driving technological progress across the industry. In the second half of the year, with the release of Qualcomm and MediaTek's new flagship chips, flagship camera phones will usher in a new round of technological iterations. Which brand will emerge victorious in the imaging battle?

Source: Lei Technology