Realme Unveils Interchangeable-Lens Concept for Smartphones at MWC 2025

Realme showcased a new interchangeable-lens concept on Monday at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona. The consumer tech brand’s new camera technology is currently a prototype, and it will allow users to mount digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) lenses directly to a smartphone. The company said this will significantly enhance the capability of a handset to capture high-quality images. Alongside the new lens system, Realme also previewed a couple of new artificial intelligence (AI) imaging features that could soon roll out to the company’s devices.

Realme Demonstrates Interchangeable-Lens Concept

In a press release, the Chinese brand detailed its new interchangeable-lens concept. Contrary to the name, it does not replace the in-built camera lenses of a smartphone, but instead allows users to mount a DSLR lens to the device and capture images using it. The company believes the technology can enable users to capture professional-grade images with their handsets.

The interchangeable-lens concept is a prototype device that features a 1-inch customised Sony sensor paired with a proprietary lens mount system. This system can be attached to a compatible smartphone’s camera module, and the software will use the mounted lens as the primary camera. At MWC 2025, Realme showcased two lenses, including a 73mm portrait lens and a 234mm telephoto lens. The company claimed these lens mounts will allow users to click a wide range of photos, including professional bokeh shots and lossless 10x zoom.

Notably, the lens system is currently a prototype and is not mass-produced. Realme said the showcase is part of the company’s commitment to exploring solutions to industry-wide challenges such as sensor size limitations and digital zoom compromises.

Alongside the new camera technology, the consumer tech brand also previewed two new AI imaging features aimed at making photo and video editing seamless. The first feature is dubbed AI Voice-based Retoucher.

Realme says it will allow users to edit photos using voice-based commands. Users will be able to say “Remove the background” or “change the colour of the sky”, and the AI will understand the prompt and deliver the result without needing to ever touch the screen.

The second feature is AI Video Eraser. This feature will let users remove unwanted objects or people from videos with a single tap, eliminating the need for time-consuming frame-based editing. Notably, the company did not reveal when these features might be rolled out to users.