Technology, Process and Cost Comparison
Smartphone Camera Module & CIS Comparison 2022 - Xiaomi
By Yole SystemPlus —
A three-year evolution of Xiaomi’s ultra-premium flagship cameras, featuring the Mi 10 Ultra, Mi 11 Ultra, and 12S Ultra.
SPR22526
Overview / Methodology
- Executive Summary
- Reverse Costing Methodology
- Glossary
Companies & Supply Chain
- Xiaomi
- Sony
- Samsung
- OmniVision
- SEMCO
- SUNNY
- Players & Market Context
- Supply Chain
Physical Comparison & Evolution
- Camera Overviews
- Physical Comparison
- Overview of the Physical Analysis
- Mi 10 Ultra
- Mi 11 Ultra
- 12S Ultra
Manufacturing Processes
- Camera Module Structure
- Conventional Module
- Periscope Module
- IR-Cut Filter
- CMOS Image Sensor Structure
- Sony CMOS Image Sensor Manufacturing Processes
- Fabs
- Pixel & Logic Circuits
- Cu-Cu Hybrid Bonding
- Optical Layers
- Samsung CMOS Image Sensor Manufacturing Processes
- Fabs
- Pixel & Logic Circuits
- TSV Bonding
- Optical Layers
- OmniVision CMOS Image Sensor Manufacturing Processes
- Fabs
- Pixel & Logic Circuits
- Cu-Cu Hybrid & TSV Bonding
- Optical Layers
Cost Comparison & Breakdown
- CMOS Image Sensor Costs
- Front CIS Front-End Costs
- Front CIS Die Costs
- Rear CIS Front-End Costs
- Rear CIS Die Costs
- Rear CIS Die Comparison
- Camera Module Costs
- Front Camera Module Costs
- Rear Camera Module Costs
- Rear Camera Modules Cost Breakdown & Comparison
- Camera Costs & Prices
Detailed Physical Analysis
- 12S Ultra Front Camera
- 12S Ultra Rear Camera
Feedback
Related Products
About Yole Group
KEY FEATURES
- Detailed photos
- Precise measurements
- Module cross-sections
- Sensor cross-sections
- Sensor measurements
- Manufacturing process flow
- Supply chain evaluation
- Manufacturing cost analysis
- Physical comparisons
- Cost and price comparison
WHAT'S NEW
- Our first Xiaomi camera comparison
- Xiaomi invests a lot in its ultra-premium flagship cameras
- All three rear cameras use the same periscope module from SEMCO
- From the Mi 10 Ultra to the Mi 11 Ultra, Xiaomi dropped the telephoto module and used most of the savings to upgrade the ultra-wide module
- The 12S Ultra uses OmniVision’s new RGBC CIS in the front camera
- We also offer camera module and CIS comparisons for Samsung, Apple, and Huawei.
- AAC Optics
- AKM (Asahi Kasei Microdevices)
- Apple (mentioned only in marketing body)
- Huawei (mentioned only in marketing body)
- Jahwa (Korea)
- O-Film
- OmniVision
- Puya Semiconductor
- Q Tech
- Samsung
- Samsung Electro-Mechanics
- SUNNY Optical Technology
- Sony
- STMicroelectronics
- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
- TDK (Japan)
- Xiaomi
Compact camera module market has achieved a tremendous growth these last few years to reach $35.9B revenues in 2021, and it will continue to pass the $60B revenues milestone by 2027. With 72% of these revenues achieved in 2021, mobile applications will remain the most important market, driven by the multiple cameras approach and further opportunities in imaging and sensing applications.
The camera quality in Xiaomi’s flagship smartphones has for years now ranked among that of the bigger, more recognized OEMs such as Apple, Samsung, and Huawei. The Chinese company benefited greatly from the Huawei ban and now enjoys an enduring market position as the third-leading smartphone vendor worldwide.
In this report we present the results of our detailed physical analysis and costing studies of the Mi 10 Ultra, Mi 11 Ultra, and 12S Ultra front and rear cameras to offer insight into the physical and cost evolution of the camera modules and CMOS image sensors (CIS) over the last three years of these Xiaomi flagships.
Though they have a reputation as a budget smartphone vendor, Xiaomi’s ultra-premium flagship camera spending is outsized, with the majority of the expense coming from large main CIS and complex 7P and 8P lens modules. The three rear cameras mainly use SEMCO modules, and in fact all three phones use the same SEMCO periscope module. The main module has grown with each generation but kept the same CIS resolution and overall module structure. The Mi 10 Ultra had a quad rear camera that included a 2X optical zoom telephoto module to capture clear information from focal planes between the main and 5X zoom periscope modules. The Mi 11 Ultra moved to a triple rear camera that dropped the telephoto module and invested most of the cost-savings into the ultra-wide module, more than doubling its resolution. It’s possible that the lossless digital zoom afforded by the increased resolution was able to take on the role of the dropped telephoto module at intermediate focal planes.
The 12S Ultra kept the triple camera configuration, which includes Sony’s IMX989 – the largest smartphone CIS we have ever analyzed. The 12S Ultra also brought a new front CIS, trading out the previous generations’ 20 Mp CIS from Samsung for the innovative RGBC (red-green-blue-clear) 32 Mp CIS from OmniVision.
In this report we provide a complete manufacturing and costing analysis + comparison for all three cameras, along with a detailed physical analysis for the cameras in the 12S Ultra. For the other two smartphones, we present a more cursory physical analysis that is sufficient for comparison.
