Technologies

Samsung Needs to Learn a Big Lesson From Xiaomi

Commentary: At a time when companies are using AI to alter images, it’s refreshing to see a phone that embraces the best aspects of traditional photography.

In the last week, both Samsung and Xiaomi have taken the wraps off their latest superphones, but only one of them has properly impressed me. I’ve spent weeks testing the Leica Leitzphone by Xiaomi ahead of its launch at MWC 2026 and I concluded that it’s the best camera phone I’ve ever used. I even gave it a CNET Editors’ Choice award because it has been so damn impressive — and I think Samsung should be worried.

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra is a jack-of-all-trades phone, packing a supercharged processor, a funky privacy screen and that all-important S Pen stylus. But its cameras only saw small improvements, with a slightly larger aperture on the main and telephoto cameras being the most notable upgrades. Beyond that, it really comes down to Samsung’s various software AI tricks, like the ability to change the style of hat you’re wearing in a photo.

This has become a trend for Samsung, with the last few Ultra phones only slightly iterating on previous camera setups, adding a few extra megapixels here and there but largely leaning into software updates to make up for a lack of hardware innovation. While Samsung’s top-tier phones have been among the best camera phones around, Xiaomi and Leica’s Leitzphone has shown what true photography innovation looks like.

This camera beast packs a number of firsts. We’ll start with the LOFIC image sensor, which stands for Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor and is basically a new type of sensor technology that improves dynamic range in a single image. It’s capable of taking gorgeous images in all conditions, including at night. Samsung was rumored to be considering LOFIC sensors for its phones (as is Apple) but evidently opted not to go down this route just yet.

The Leitzphone is also among the first phones ever to use real moving lens elements in its telephoto zoom, allowing true lossless zooming rather than jumping only between specific zoom levels. It works well and a similar setup has been rumored to appear on the last few generations of Ultra, but it’s never actually happened.

Then there’s the physical control ring around the Leitzphone’s camera, the stunning Leica colour profiles built right into the camera experience and the pristine quality of the Leica Summilux optics used in the lenses.

The Photos I’ve Taken on Xiaomi’s Leica Phone Are Some of My Best Ever

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By partnering with such a photography icon, Xiaomi has truly innovated its photography, delivering multiple firsts that genuinely improve the image-taking experience. As both a professional photographer and a genuine enthusiast myself, I’ve been blown away by the photos I’ve been able to shoot with the phone.

But Samsung hasn’t excited me this time round. Its new generative AI tools might be fun gimmicks, but they’re not appealing to an actual photographer like myself. The S26 Ultra needs to be more than a cameraphone, of course — it needs to be «ultra» in every sense of the word. But Samsung’s latest model shows that proper photography isn’t a priority for the company.

As such Samsung risks losing out on the huge number of photographers and content creators (both professional and amateur alike) who are instead going to be looking at rivals like Xiaomi for products that can live up to their imaging demands.

Technologies

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 4, #527

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 4, No. 527.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one unless you’re really familiar with a certain sports romance show and book series. If you are, you should have no problems with the blue category. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Lone Star State.

Green group hint: Support the team.

Blue group hint: Hockey love story.

Purple group hint: Not short.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Texas teams.

Green group: Sportswear brands.

Blue group: Associated with «Heated Rivalry.»

Purple group: Long ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is Texas teams. The four answers are Astros, Mavericks, Stars and Texans.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is sportswear brands. The four answers are Adidas, Champion, Fila and Starter.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with «Heated Rivalry.» The four answers are Hollander, Metros, Raiders and Rozanov.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is long ____. The four answers are Beach State, jump, relief and snapper.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, March 4

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 4.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It will help if you’re a basketball fan, at least for the answer to 1-Down. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.