Samsung secretly builds optical zoom camera for Xiaomi 15 Ultra

Samsung Electro-Mechanics is reported to be producing a new mobile camera module with true variable optical zoom, but the component is not intended for Samsung’s Galaxy lineup. According to industry sources, Xiaomi has contracted Samsung to supply the module for use in upcoming flagship models, including the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.

Most smartphones marketed with “zoom” features rely on telephoto lenses fixed at a single focal length. The apparent zoom effect usually comes from switching between wide, ultrawide, and telephoto cameras, or through digital cropping. Even periscope-style telephoto designs, where the lens is laid sideways inside the phone body, operate at one set focal length rather than adjusting continuously.

True optical zoom requires moving lens elements within a single module, similar to dedicated cameras, allowing seamless changes in focal length without digital interpolation. Only a handful of smartphones have adopted this approach. Sony’s Xperia 1 series offers a telephoto module with continuous zoom between 85mm and 170mm, while Samsung once attempted bulkier designs with the Galaxy S4 Zoom in 2013 and the Galaxy K Zoom in 2014, both offering 10x optical zoom.

Those earlier Samsung models included protruding camera units that extended from the phone body, making them thicker than today’s slim smartphone standards. In contrast, any module designed for Xiaomi is expected to remain compact, fitting within the typical camera bump of devices like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Analysts suggest the lens will likely support around 3x optical zoom to keep size manageable, with artificial intelligence-based enhancements compensating for higher magnification.

Samsung has not confirmed whether this technology will eventually appear in its own Galaxy phones. For now, the development signals that Xiaomi may be among the first to feature Samsung’s latest optical zoom solution in a production smartphone.