It is looking increasingly likely that Xiaomi will soon be incorporating a revolutionary new lens into its smartphones. A poster of a mysterious water design has appeared on Twitter, indicating that it could be an exciting liquid-based lens that will be featured on the new Xiaomi Mi Mix.

The post, by Ben Geskin, quotes Xiaomi co-founder Lei Hun describing the lens as simultaneously telephoto and macro. He claims that the principle is the same as the human eye, using muscles to change the shape of the lens so that it can focus very quickly.

The only slight confusion here is the claim that the same lens can be used for both macro and telephoto. This may be a slight mistake, since optical zoom is many times more complicated than a simple fixed focal length. But the idea of focusing at infinity and then returning to macro is certainly exciting, even without the zoom.

It is quite possible that Xiaomi has indeed developed something that can also adjust focal length, which would allow such a lens to zoom. It is hard to imagine this maintaining the quality of an optical lens, but perhaps a surprise awaits.

The idea of water lenses is actually not new; the technology is already being used in manufacturing. Corning is well known for its Gorilla Glass, which protects the glass in smartphones from scratches and damage, and the company already has a line of lenses that use similar technology.

These lenses use water and oil. Since water and oil do not mix, the surface created when they are trapped together can be used as a lens. The surface can be stretched and contracted by an electric current and brought into focus remarkably fast. You can see the results in the video below.

The great advantage of this lens is that it is not mechanical. This means that it does not wear out and can be used in places where mechanical systems would fail. This is not necessarily a big issue with smartphones, but the simplicity of the system and the speed of operation may make for a more responsive camera.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix will be available on March 29.