Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra To Feature Custom Chip, New Battery Tech

Xiaomi already launched the Mi 11 last month but, in typical Xiaomi fashion, it isn't done releasing new phones bearing that name. The Mi 11 Ultra, which is expected to be announced on Monday, may very well be its biggest gamble in this half of the year and not just because of its specs. According to sources, the ultra-high-end phone will bear a few new firsts for the smartphone market, including Xiaomi's first in-house processor.

No, Xiaomi isn't suddenly taking on Qualcomm, Samsung, and Apple in the CPU market. Instead, MyFixGuide's sources claim that Xiaomi's custom chip will be an Image Signal Processor or ISP. This is the chip that handles almost everything related to cameras, a key point among smartphones these days.

It is definitely intriguing that Xiaomi striking out on its own in this area, especially as it hasn't announced any major partnership with an expert in that market. Qualcomm's Snapdragons, of course, carry their own ISPs under the Spectra marketing name and that is what powers the image processing muscle of many smartphones today. What Xiaomi will bring to the table and how it will integrate with the Mi 11 Ultra's processor will be interesting to hear.

Another major highlight, according to sources, will be the Mi 11 Ultra's battery, which will be the first in the smartphone market to use Silicon-Oxygen Anode. This kind of battery is supposedly used in "new energy vehicles", most likely referring to EVs, and promises to make batteries thinner while also making them safer.

These rumors definitely make the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra an interesting smartphone but also make it feel a bit more experimental in both tech and design. An earlier leak suggested that not only will it have the largest camera bump in smartphone history, it will even have enough room for a tiny screen on its back.