In recent memory, there isn’t a single device that has had more conflicting leaks surrounding it than the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S. We know it’s real because Xiaomi confirmed it would be announced on March 27th, but apart from a few key specifications such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip, there isn’t much official information that we know of. Xiaomi has been teasing bits and pieces of information on their official Weibo account, but today we have found evidence for new Mi Mix 2S camera features in the firmware: portrait mode, multi-frame noise reduction (MFNR), slow motion 1080p videos at 120fps, and more.
Before we dive in, let’s recap what information we have learned about previously. We know that the device will be running Android Oreo, will have an 18:9 FHD+ display, and will have a 3,400 mAh battery. It will also have wireless charging support and likely a bottom front-facing camera (which hints that the renders showing a corner notch are inaccurate). Now, we can add additional information about the device’s camera features.
This is possible thanks to firmware files obtained by @FunkyHuawei, the person behind the FunkyHuawei.club service, which allows users to update, unbrick, or rebrand Huawei and Honor phones for a fee. He has shared the Mi Mix 2S firmware files exclusively with XDA-Developers which we have analyzed in collaboration with XDA Junior Member franztesca.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Camera Portrait Mode
Portrait mode is an increasingly popular feature for smartphone cameras. The Google Pixel 2’s version has been widely praised for the picture quality it outputs, to the point where users have clamored for third-party ports of the Google Camera app so they can take advantage of Google’s algorithms. The predecessor to the Mix 2S, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, did not offer any kind of portrait mode feature as it did not have dual cameras (although, the Pixel 2 has demonstrated that the feature can be implemented via software). Yet as we learned previously, the Mi Mix 2S will indeed have dual cameras.
The AI Dual Camera Watermark on the Mi Mix 2S
Now, we have learned that the upcoming smartphone will indeed offer a portrait mode feature. According to the MIUI Camera APK, there’s a method that checks for whether or not the feature is enabled by looking at the value of is_supported_portrait, which is of course set to true in the configuration file for the device.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Multi-Frame Noise Reduction
Multi-frame noise reduction (MFNR) is a technology where multiple photos are taken in rapid succession and then superimposed to reduce noise. It’s available as part of the Qualcomm Spectra 280 ISP in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip. It appears that this feature may be present as an option in the latest MIUI Camera, as not only are strings present for it but so to are the corresponding methods.
A minor piece of additional information about the phone’s “AI” capabilities can be seen in the above image. As we previously mentioned, the phone will automatically identify the scene and adjust the camera settings accordingly.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Slow Motion Enhancements
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 offers 720p video recording at 120fps for slow motion videos, but according to the MIUI Camera APK and media_profiles_vendor.xml file (which outlines the encoding settings), the Mix 2S will offer 1080p at 120fps (default) and 720p at 240fps.
<string name="pref_video_hfr_entryvalue_default">1920x1080:120</string>
HEVC Encoding, Parallel Processing, and “Dual SAT”
A few other tidbits from the firmware that we have been able to find include support for encoding videos in HEVC. There’s also a feature called “parallel processing” and “dual SAT camera,” but we aren’t entirely sure what either of these features are meant to do. Compared to the Mi Mix 2 firmware, these features appear to be live in the firmware as preferences are available in code and set to true in the device’s configuration file.
<string name="pref_video_encoder_entry_h264">H.264 High compatibility</string>
<string name="pref_video_encoder_entry_h265">H.265 High performance</string>
We’ll learn more information about the device during its launch on March 27th. Stay tuned to the XDA Portal for more information on the device.