Magnets make anything cooler, which is why Xiaomi’s Modular Optical System caught our eye at Mobile World Congress 2025. This is essentially a camera lens that snaps onto the back of a custom Xiaomi 15.

If you hate the big camera bump of today’s smartphones, you’ll love the detachable lens of Xiaomi’s Modular Optical System.

Despite Samsung launching its Galaxy S series in early January now, Mobile World Congress is still a pretty big show for other smartphone makers. Particularly for those Chinese OE

Samsung and Lenovo had the most interesting folding concept devices to show off at the annual trade show in Barcelona.

Xiaomi started up in 2010 selling low-to-mid price smartphones at very cut-throat prices. Since then it has expanded overseas, placing a big emphasis on its European foothold. Xiaomi has also built a portfolio of connected devices from TVs to smartwatches.

Mobile World Congress kicks off in just a few days, but some of the biggest phone makers have already hinted at what's to come in Barcelona.

On the hardware front, the world’s largest phone show will feature launches from Nothing, Xiaomi, Honor, and more. Here's what else is on tap in Barcelona next week.

Xiaomi’s not the only company toying with this idea. This week rival Chinese phone maker Realme introduced a concept phone with a 1 inch image sensor that isn’t designed to work with a built-in lens. Instead you can attach any camera lens that uses the Leica M Mount system to the back of the phone.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra may be the company's latest smartphone, but it has a superpower that can transform it into a flagship-level handheld camera.

Xiaomi's Modular Optical System concept magnetically attaches to the back of the phone, giving next-level phone photography

According to Xiaomi, the SU7 Ultra can go from zero to 100 km/h in 1.98 seconds, with a top speed of 350km/h. It comes with three-motor configuration, which features two Xiaomi V8s electric motors and one Xiaomi V6s motor, and has a whopping 1,527 horsepower.

On paper, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra offers a lot of great specs. Powerful Leica-tuned cameras, including an absurd 200MP telephoto lens, a large battery, and all the performance of the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. However, like all Xiaomi phones, there’s a big emphasis on the own-brand software, rather than a cleaner variation of Android.