As phone cameras evolved over the years, they have become synonymous with ugly camera islands making them bulky and heavy in your pocket. Xiaomi’s new modular concept phone at MWC seems to strike one bird with two stones offering DSLR-like images on a smartphone without the permanent camera bump. This means you don’t need to carry a phone with a massive camera setup or take a DSLR along with you. While the company recently unveiled the Xiaomi 15 Ultra globally at the MWC 2025, Barcelona, it also showcased a new modular phone with a detachable camera lens. Here’s everything you need to know about the Xiaomi Modular Optical System (MOS) prototype.
Xiaomi Modular Phone Showcased at MWC 2025
Xiaomi has shown a custom version of the Xiaomi 15 with magnets on the back similar to MagSafe on iPhones. It uses a new proprietary technology called Laserlink that helps you connect accessories using the Pogo pins. These pins can provide power and also enable data transfer meaning you don’t need to recharge those detachable lenses and all the images clicked are saved directly on your phone’s local storage.
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Real-time data transfer leads to zero latency and you can take photos just as you were taking them natively using your phone’s camera. With the ability to transfer data at speeds of up to 10Gbps thanks to the Laserlink system, it can integrate natively into the phone using Xiaomi’s AI and computational photography abilities.
Currently, the LaserLink system is compatible with a 100-megapixel Light Fusion X Type 4/3 sensor in a 35mm lens. For context, this is 2 times larger than the 1-inch sensor found on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. That means some truly spectacular images and photography sessions. It just snaps onto the back of your phone like MagSafe and does not need any external power source. Instead, it relies on your phone’s built-in battery.
You get the same seamless integration in the camera app as you switch between the phone’s camera and the lens with a flick of a button. Furthermore, all the photos are saved in the camera app and you can zoom in/zoom out on subjects just like a DSLR. It can take exceptional shots and portraits beyond what current smartphone cameras can achieve.
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The main advantage is the portability and the plug-and-play nature which puts it ahead of phones with massive camera islands and even entry-level DSLRs. Maybe Xiaomi can leverage the power of Laserlink to create an entire ecosystem of accessories. These might lead to exciting innovations such as power banks, gaming controllers, more camera lenses, and a speaker module. A throwback to the golden days of Moto Mods for the now-defunct Moto Z lineup.
One drawback however is the decrease in battery capacity. Xiaomi says that it had to reduce the battery to accommodate the LaserLink system and maybe future iterations can fix the issue. But given it’s a concept, maybe Xiaomi could fix it in the production version although there is no clarity on whether Xiaomi plans to launch it.
