Xiaomi 13 Ultra accessory could almost make it a point-and-shoot camera

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is on track to become one of the best camera smartphones of this year, with early leaks and reveals pointing to a total of four 50MP rear cameras on the phone. Of them, one even has a 1-inch sensor with variable aperture, immediately setting it apart from current flagships. Xiaomi seems to be really leaning into the photography prowess of this phone, as the company has now teased what looks like an interesting accessory for the phone.

According to a teaser released on Weibo, Xiaomi could be pairing the 13 Ultra with a camera grip accessory. There’s a slight chance that Xiaomi is just taking creative liberty for the marketing image, but Xiaomi CEO and Founder Lei Jun’s post implies that the accessory does make the phone appear more like a camera. We can see a dedicated shutter button on the grip, which would make it easy to snap photos quickly.

I’ve used the predecessor Xiaomi 12S Ultra for a few months, and the phone’s camera capabilities were indeed impressive. Admittedly, the phone was top-heavy, and holding it in landscape orientation was a firm two-hand task. A camera grip, like the one teased for the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, would have made it very convenient and comfortable to use the phone as a camera for longer periods of time. We hope Xiaomi goes ahead with the camera grip accessory for the 13 Ultra.

This isn’t the first time that Xiaomi will be experimenting with its Ultra flagship. Last year, the company had shown off the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept, which featured a design that allowed an interchangeable lens to be used with the phone.

The 12S Ultra Concept featured two 1-inch sensors, and you could attach Leica M-series lenses to the central sensor. Now that’s a camera phone!

However, the 12S Ultra Concept was a one-off concept phone meant to showcase technology and innovation. But the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is not a concept phone. It’s a mass-produced phone meant for consumers, and it is launching in China on April 18.