Megapixels may not be everything, but that doesn't make 200MP flagship sensors any less of a statement. Rumor has it that Oppo, Xiaomi, Vivo, and iQOO are all experimenting with 200MP primary cameras for their next-generation flagships. OnePlus is sitting this one and sticking with a 50MP main camera on the OnePlus 16.
Higher megapixel cameras are the future
Yogesh Brar, a well-known smartphone tipster, shared the 200MP camera innovation plans on X. 200MP offers its most benefit in cropping flexibility, where one photo contains far more pixels than a 50MP image. You can crop aggressively into it and retain plenty of detail. For the average user, it's overkill. Most people take photos to share on platforms that compress images anyway.
In his post, Brar stated that “all major flagships are testing 200MP primary cameras” and specifically named the Oppo Find X10 series, Xiaomi 18 series, Vivo X500 and X500 Pro, and the iQOO 16 as devices currently being evaluated.
In particular, Digital Chat Station shared on Weibo that the Find X10 may be testing the world's first 100MP front-facing camera. It will feature an irregular sensor with a custom 1:1 square aspect ratio rather than the regular rectangular format.
It should provide a larger image area around subjects for you to manipulate without quality loss. It's a major technological breakthrough because cameras have remained at a much lower resolution between 12MP and 50MP.
In a separate post, they claimed that a prototype flagship (likely the Xiaomi 18) is currently being tested with dual 200MP cameras. The series may not be the only lineup the brand is experimenting with the technology. Their next foldable, tentatively called the MIX Fold 5 or Xiaomi 18 Fold, is also being tested with a 200MP main camera as part of a triple-camera setup.
Some brands may stick to 50MP, after all
Vivo’s X500 series may come with a 50MP main camera, 50MP ultrawide camera, and 64MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom that'll likely use Sony’s IMX06H sensor. It's possible the 200MP hardware ends up on the unconfirmed X500 Pro Max.
Likewise, the iQOO 16 may come with a triple camera setup featuring a 50MP main, 50MP ultrawide, and 50MP periscope telephone lenses. It's worth noting that OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, and iQOO all trace back to the BBK Electronics ecosystem, although BBK itself has become less visible as a corporate brand in recent years. Xiaomi is the only independent player among them, as it is not under the company's umbrella.
OnePlus did not share a reason for their decision to skip 200MP lenses. But it is likely because of commonly associated issues, such as lenses consuming more power, producing larger files, and overheating. It makes sense to focus on improving optics, HDR processing, autofocus, or even low-light performance.
Although they're not on par with Google Pixel phones in still photography, these brands have some of the strongest image processing software in portrait photography and professional controls, among other areas.
