As amazing as smartphone cameras have become, their UX still kind of sucks. Trying to zoom in by pinching a screen, or adjust focus by tapping a screen, is awkward and rarely produces the desired results on the first try.
Good UX design was once Apple’s domain, but they’ve long since ceded that title. A new innovation in the phone-as-camera realm comes from Xiaomi, with their 17 Ultra by Leica model.
The phone comes with plenty of Leica glass:
– 23 mm-equivalent 50 MP main camera- 75–100 mm-equivalent 200 MP telephoto- 14 mm-equivalent 50 MP ultra-wide
The most notable design innovation, however, is the Master Zoom Ring. This physical ring can be used to manipulate the lenses in the way you would with a traditional SLR.
Even cooler, the user can choose what the ring does. You can use it to zoom in or out, or adjust the focus, exposure compensation, white balance, ISO, or shutter speed. You can also use it to switch between filters.
The phone launched in China around Christmas and runs around $1,200. At present, there are no plans to sell it in the U.S. or anywhere outside of China. Perhaps Apple should take advantage of that.
