Just this week, three different photography-focused kits for smartphones made the news. Vivo, Oppo, and Nubia all have specialized kits designed for enthusiast mobile photographers, and each promises to improve smartphone camera capabilities above and beyond what phones can do out of the box.
Consider Vivo, which unveiled the X300 and X300 Pro smartphones yesterday in China. Both these models work with Vivo’s smartphone photography kit that launched alongside the X200 Ultra flagship earlier this year.
Vivo unveiled this Zeiss-branded telephoto lens for the X200 Ultra earlier this year, but it will also work with the photography kit for the new X300 and X300 Pro. | Credit: Vivo
This Zeiss-branded kit includes a camera grip case with dedicated camera controls, a filter adapter ring, and an add-on Zeiss zoom lens that extends the telephoto reach of compatible Vivo smartphones. The lens attaches to the phone via the included case, and at least for the new X300 Pro, it works alongside digital zoom and the new 200-megapixel image sensor to deliver 1600mm-equivalent reach.
Credit: Vivo
Chinese smartphone brand Oppo unveiled a Hasselblad-branded camera kit for its upcoming Find X9 Pro this week. This Oppo Hasselblad Professional Imaging Kit was revealed on Weibo and will snap onto the back of Find X9 series smartphones, expected to launch this week in China. The Hasselblad-branded teleconverter, magnetic ring light, magnetic handle, case, and shoulder strap promise to improve the overall mobile photography experience for Find Oppo X9 series owners.
Oppo’s new Hasselblad-branded photography kit for the Find X9 series includes a case, lens, magnetic flash, camera grip, shoulder strap, and more. | Credit: Oppo
On Weibo, Oppo asserts that these new magnetic accessories, including the ring light and flash, are the first of their kind in the mobile industry.
Not to be outdone, another Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Nubia, also revealed a photography kit this week on Weibo. This one looks different from the other two, employing a retro camera-like design, but its core functionality is similar. It includes a case, filter adapters, and not one, but two detachable lenses. The kit features a telephoto lens and a second portrait-oriented optic.
Nubia’s new photography kit for the Z80 smartphone | Credit: Nubia
The kit will work with the Nubia Z80 Ultra smartphone, which is expected to launch next week in China.
These new kits, or in the case of Vivo, an older kit getting new compatibility, join Xiaomi’s photography kit offerings, which focus on improving the in-phone photography experience. Xiaomi has opted to add a filter mount for its Leica-engineered camera systems and a camera-inspired battery grip to its handhelds.
Xiaomi works with Leica for its smartphone cameras, and Xiaomi’s photography kit focuses on enhancing the mobile photography experience. | Credit: Photo by Ted Kritsonis for PetaPixel
For those keeping score, that’s three different major photography companies getting involved in photography kits for Chinese smartphones. Arguably, Nubia’s kit, which doesn’t feature any photo brand partnerships, at least at least looks the part of a classic Leica with its red dot logo and classic aesthetics. Vivo is working with Zeiss, Oppo with Hasselblad, and Xiaomi with Leica. Even if OnePlus is letting its Hasselblad partnership expire with its upcoming OnePlus 15 flagship phone, it’s clear that many Chinese phone companies continue to want to work with classic names in photography.
It’s also clear that these smartphone makers are putting significant effort into improving their phones’ photography capabilities, even if it means adding a bulky case and a long lens to their devices. Although computational photography helps compensate for relatively small image sensors and lenses in smartphones, there is no substitute for more real, physical glass, especially when it comes to portrait and telephoto performance.
Image credits: Vivo, Oppo, Nubia, and Xiaomi