This Ultra phone’s camera accessory reminds me why Samsung and Google really need to catch up

I have been reviewing phones for almost a decade. And countless times over this period, brands have claimed that their phones can replace actual DSLRs or mirrorless cameras. Every time I’ve heard that, I have wanted to respond with The Rock’s raised eyebrow meme.

Despite my skepticism, I cannot deny that I have encountered several great camera phones in recent years that reproduce an effect quite similar to that of an “actual” camera. Some phones, like the vivo X300 Pro, achieve that through the image’s superficial impression, while others, such as the OPPO Find X9 Pro, realize it through tactile feedback from elements like extendable lenses. My most recent interaction that evoked a similar sensation was with another camera stalwart, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, a phone that tries to recreate some of the DSLR magic with variable aperture on one of its rear cameras.