One of the most applauded features of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s photography section is going to expand to a large number of devices very soon: the shutter sound configuration, which we can now customize with the real sound of several Leica camera models.
One of the features many users value most is often the photography capabilities of our smartphones. After all, having a device capable of taking good photos on a device we carry around with us all day is an advantage many would have dreamed of a few decades ago.
However, there are still those who find digital photography missing something: that more human and artisanal touch that analog methods provide, and that we older users have irrevocably stored in our memories. This is precisely where Xiaomi has made its latest move, hitting us right in the nostalgia department. Having your phone sound exactly like a camera shutter when you take a photo may not be especially useful, but it’s one of those little things with much more power than it appears. I wouldn’t be surprised if other brands start copying this measure very soon.
Leica shutter and film rewind sounds
Xiaomi’s latest phones, featuring a more sophisticated photography experience, feature sensors from Leica, a renowned German firm that is a benchmark in the world of photography, especially when it comes to rangefinder cameras and high-quality lenses. Xiaomi has collaborated with Leica on numerous models, offering cameras that are perfect for the most demanding photographers, and now it wants to take the experience one step further.
Soon, smartphones equipped with Leica lenses will be able to be configured, if desired, to reproduce the shutter sound of a Leica M3, M6, M9, or M10. In fact, we can even go a step further and add the unmistakable sound of film rewinding and get rid of nostalgia for a few seconds.
We can choose whether or not to play the rewind sound with each photo, with a gesture as simple as holding down the photo capture button for a few tenths of a second.
Which phones will have this feature, and when will they do so?
For the time being, Xiaomi seems to be limiting this feature to smartphones that actually have a Leica camera sensor, which makes perfect sense. The update will be released in two batches. We can expect the first between mid-May and June, andit will include the following devices:
- Xiaomi 15 Series
- Xiaomi 14 Series
- Xiaomi MIX Fold 4
- Xiaomi MIX Flip
- Redmi K80 Series
- Redmi K70 Series
- Redmi Note 14 Series
- Redmi Turbo 4
Later, between mid-June and July, we will receive the second batch:
- Xiaomi 13 Series
- Xiaomi 12S Series
- Xiaomi MIX Fold 3
- Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro
- Redmi K60 Series
- Redmi Note 13 Series
- Redmi Turbo 3
Although lines like POCO are left out of this update, it wouldn’t be surprising if we later gain access to the feature on these devices through apps or by manually downloading it.
