Alongside a worldwide launch for Xiaomi’s 17 Extremely (examine that proper here), the corporate introduced an additional deepening of its relationship with Leica. The CEO of Leica, Matthias Harsch, took to the stage to announce a brand new Leitzphone, which seems to be an excellent deeper collaboration than 17 Extremely by Leica, which is a completely different telephone. Confused? That is truthful.
design-wise, Leica has shifted again to a single tone physique coloration, which seems to be extra “Leica” to this digicam dilettante’s eyes. And should you’re considering you’ve heard of the Leitzphone earlier than, you most likely have: it was a collection of telephones made by Sharp that launched in Japan in 2021. All of them had a 1-inch digicam sensor, as does Xiaomi’s first Leitzphone. It additionally has a mechanical, bodily ring dial across the digicam unit to regulate settings like zoom, publicity and shutter pace.
The digicam interface can also be designed by Leica. It is designed to be as intuitive as attainable, with an Important mode within the digicam app that strips away all these modes and labels, showcasing no matter you are seeking to shoot. You’ll be able to swap between a monochrome capturing mode and a extra acquainted punchy, contrasty Leica filter. And that is it.
Except for that there is no main standout interface or UI adjustments that I might spot whereas attempting out the Leitzphone briefly at Xiaomi’s MWC keynote. Nevertheless, should you’re intrigued by the performance — or the cameras — try our hands-on protection and pattern images of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. The cameras are good.
Picture by Mat Smith for Engadget
All three iterations (the common Xiaomi 17 Extremely , the “by Leica” version and the Leitzphone) have a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and a 6.9-inch 120Hz show that may attain as much as 3,500 nits of peak brightness. Whereas cameras are naturally the main focus, it’s a flagship system by just about any metric. It additionally has a 6,000mAh battery for prolonged trip picture shoots.
Barring some Leica-tinged wallpapers and design accents, it is loads just like the 17 Extremely by Leica, simply with completely different messaging. That is Leica’s telephone, made by Xiaomi, however does a rose by some other identify nonetheless have nice low-light pictures? Possibly elevated Leica branding might be sufficient to coax its digicam followers into making this their subsequent smartphone, maybe.
Picture by Mat Smith for Engadget
After years of collaboration (and cute little badges), this can be the primary pure “Leica telephone” manufactured by Xiaomi however offered instantly by each firms. It is priced at €1,999 (roughly $2,362), however it’s not identified but whether or not this telephone will launch within the US. Welcome to MWC, everybody.
