In July, Motorola will launch the world’s first 200MP cameraphone

Even though it’s still spring, Motorola appears to be in a giving mood, having recently teamed up with T-Mobile (and Metro by T-Mobile) to give away the brand’s hot new 5G mid-ranger for free, as well as giving us early access to one of two very intriguing forthcoming products.

On Weibo, Chen Jin, Lenovo’s Chinese Mobile Business Group general manager, teased the coming of a “new benchmark for image experience not limited to parameters” in July, just days after revealing the state-of-the-art chipset scheduled to power the next-gen Razr foldable.

It’s the… beginning of the frontier!

As obscure as that may sound, it’s actually not that difficult to figure out what to expect. That’s because Lenovo’s top executive is also ready to confirm that this (not-so-mysterious) handset will “open the era of 200 million pixel mobile photography.”

Lenovo owns Motorola, as you’re probably aware, and in recent months, we’ve heard a lot of rumours about a so-called “Frontier” super-flagship with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC under the hood and, you guessed it, a crazy 200MP image sensor on the back.

Instead of going official under the Frontier name, this total monster is expected to join the fast-growing (and increasingly stunning) Motorola Edge family, and today’s Weibo teaser makes a July launch all but certain, at least in China.

If the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1-powered Edge X30 is any indication, a Western release seems very likely, therefore it remains to be seen if the Motorola Frontier will be the first phone to ship with a 200MP primary rear-facing camera and Qualcomm’s latest and best chipset, say, in the United States.

Many (global) manufacturers, including Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Realme, and, probably most notably, Samsung, have already committed to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 “platform,” with the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 almost certainly running quicker than the S22 range.

More than just an impressive-sounding camera

Samsung is the maker of the insane-sounding 200MP Isocell sensor set to make its commercial debut on Motorola’s next-gen flagship, while the world’s largest smartphone maker may be aiming to use a more advanced version of that lens on the Galaxy S23 Ultra in 2023.

Shutterbugs shouldn’t get too enthusiastic about the “Frontier” just yet, because a larger megapixel count doesn’t automatically imply a better real-world photographic experience.

Of course, there are plenty of other exciting features to look forward to on this ultra-high-end device, including an extra-curvy design with a silky smooth 144Hz OLED screen, a 60MP front-facing shooter, and a 4,500mAh battery with, get this, crazy fast 125W wired charging and crazy fast 50W wireless charging technology.

If an older report that hasn’t been confirmed in a long time turns out to be true, the Frontier’s gigantic 200MP camera will be joined by a 50MP ultra-wide-angle sensor and a 12MP telephoto lens to produce one of the most versatile and all-around capable mobile imaging systems available in 2022.

It’s clear from all of this that Motorola wants to compete with the world’s (and US) top smartphone suppliers in more than just the mid-range section of the market. Let’s just hope the price is reasonable, which is never a given when all leakers seem to avoid making any sort of clear prognosis on the subject.