Smartphone manufacturers are battling it out for camera supremacy, but the key to it may end up being modularity. Sure, most people won't want to shell out for modular camera attachments on their phones, but those who do might end up getting far better image quality. Realme is one of the two major smartphone manufacturers to show off a modular camera system that could inform ways to get better images on phones in the future.
The concept is called the Realme Ultra, showcased at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on Monday. It's essentially designed to take smartphone photography to the next level through a mounting system that lets you attach lenses to the back of the phone. Those lenses direct light to a one-inch CMOS sensor on the back of the phone.
Indeed, the concept looks very cool. At Realme's MWC booth, the company showed the Realme Ultra's capabilities alongside an iPhone 16 Pro Max. The iPhone was able to capture a great-looking photo, of course, but you just can't beat the depth of real optical lenses, which is what the Realme phone was able to capture with its detachable rear lens.
The phone still has its own cameras too; the device has two regular cameras that you can use for day-to-day photography.
Of course, the Realme Ultra concept does have a way to go before it could become a reality. As mentioned, there’s basically a one-inch CMOS that faces outward for the lens attachments. That can introduce some issues — like, what happens if you scratch the glass covering the sensor? Also, how big can the lens really be in the real world, when you’re attaching it to such a thin and light device?
It’s still a super cool concept though. It’s also not the only modular camera concept from MWC 2025. Xiaomi also showed off a modular camera attachment, however that one relies on a magnetic connection to transfer data from an attachment that includes both a sensor and a lens. Essentially, it’s a whole camera system that's powered by the phone, rather than a lens that makes use of a sensor built into the phone.
Both of these are neat ideas, but of course, neither of them are available in the real world just yet. It remains to be seen if either of them will make it to consumer release, but here's hoping.
Mashable's on the ground at MWC 2025 covering the best tech products that have Barcelona abuzz.
