For many people, buying a phone is equivalent to buying a personal camera. But Chinese phone-maker RealMe is blurring that line with a concept device that lets you change the lens on the phone, much like on a high-end mirrorless camera.
RealMe’s Interchangeable-lens concept phone does exactly what the name implies and is on display at Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona. You can attach a full-frame mirrorless lens directly onto the device, letting you enhance the zoom or use different lenses for creative shots. The RealMe phone has an adapter that allows you to mount professional-level lenses that attach to much more expensive standalone cameras like a Leica M11 or Canon R6. You could even use some old DSLR lenses if you have any still around.
RealMe’s Interchangeable-lens concept allows for DSLR lenses to be attached to the phone for enhanced photography.
RealMe says the concept uses a 1-inch type customized Sony sensor (the sensor isn’t actually an inch in size) paired with a proprietary lens mount system. If such a phone ever comes to the market, it could allow for high-quality photography that can be quickly edited or backed up to cloud services using the phone.
The sensor is similar to the one used in the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and RealMe’s concept is like the one Xiaomi showed off in 2022 with the 12S Ultra’s 1-inch type sensor. This year at MWC, Xiaomi showed off a new concept of a full-sized camera lens that houses an even larger image sensor and attaches magnetically to the back of a Xiaomi 15 phone. The concept is similar to the QX100 lens/sensor combo that Sony sold in 2013 that could clip to the back of a phone.
Relatedly, RealMe is also showing off an AI voice-based image retoucher, which promises to let you edit a photo by speaking with a voice assistant.
The Interchangeable-lens concept also reminds me of the Samsung Galaxy Camera from over a decade ago, which put Android inside of a point-and shoot camera. However, we haven’t seen any similar devices crop up since, with Samsung instead reserving its highest-end camera ambitions for phones like the $1,300 Galaxy S25 Ultra.
