Realme showcases a phone that supports swappable camera lenses

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Realme unveiled a concept phone at the MWC 2025 that lets you use DSLR lenses with a smartphone. 

The Realme Interchangeable Lens Concept smartphone introduces a unique approach to mobile photography. It integrates a one-inch Sony CMOS sensor with support for interchangeable DSLR lenses. 

The device utilizes Leica’s M mount, enabling compatibility with most Leica lenses. Realme highlights two specific options: a 73mm (~3x) portrait lens and a 234mm (~10x) telephoto lens.

Notably, the one-inch sensor is enclosed behind glass, eliminating the need for a lens cap when no module is attached.

Beyond its standout interchangeable lens system, the phone features two additional rear cameras—main and ultrawide. 

The device runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which powered flagship Android phones in 2023, suggesting the concept has been in development for some time.

While the concept is intriguing, the weight of DSLR lenses leads to awkward balance and handling, making casual, one-handed photography difficult. 

Additionally, the phone lacks a traditional telephoto camera, meaning users must either attach a lens module or rely on digital zoom. 

It remains unclear whether the phone offers lossless zoom depending on the attached lens, such as extending a 10x lens to 20x without quality loss.

Although indoor testing conditions were not ideal, Realme has shared sample images online, though their reliability remains uncertain until further independent testing. 

This isn’t the first smartphone concept of its kind—Xiaomi introduced the 12s Ultra concept in 2022, which supports Leica lens attachments. 

At MWC 2025, Xiaomi unveiled another innovative camera-focused device, the Xiaomi 15 Concept. This device features a detachable lens system that magnetically clips onto the Xiaomi 15.

A commercial release of Realme’s interchangeable lens smartphone seems unlikely in the near future.

Whether such innovations will reach mainstream adoption remains to be seen, but they undoubtedly offer a glimpse into the future of mobile imaging technology.

What do you think about this cool concept phone? Would you buy a phone like this? We want to hear from you below in the comments, or via our Twitter or Facebook.