Well, it’s official. There’s a fourth Leitzphone. However, it isn’t a Leitz Phone 4. It’s just “Leitzphone.” The significance isn’t just a rebranding. It signals a couple of firsts. It also marks the first international smartphone from Leica. While the Leitz Phone 1, Leitz Phone 2, and Leitz Phone 3 were Japan exclusives, the Leitzphone is the first international smartphone by Leica.
In addition, while Leica collaborated with Sharp for the first three Leica phones, Sharp’s name barely got any mention, let alone appeared on the device. With the Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi, however, Leica proudly proclaims the phone as “Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi,” and Xiaomi branding has its place on the device, just placed differently for this model.
The Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi is basically the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition dressed in classic black and silver, inspired by the Leica M series camera. This colorway has also been added to Xiaomi China’s Leica Edition lineup.
The device rocks the iconic red Leica logo, the textured lines on the frame, and the text “LEICA CAMERA GERMANY.” Under the hood, it appears to be identical to the 17 Ultra Leica Edition, except for the battery, which is limited to 6,000 mAh to conform to EU regulations.
Physically, it measures 162.9 × 77.6 × 8.32 mm and weighs 223.4 g. RAM and storage come in one unapologetic configuration: 16 GB and 1 TB. The processor is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, built on a 3 nm process. Nothing new, new here. Well, at least nothing you have not already known.
The camera system is the main attraction (obviously). The primary camera uses a 50 MP 1-inch sensor with LOFIC technology for expanded dynamic range and better highlight retention. The periscope telephoto features a 200 MP sensor covering 75–100 mm equivalent focal lengths with optical image stabilization. The ultra-wide is a 50 MP 14 mm camera with a 115° field of view.
There is even a mechanical camera ring that lets you control zoom, ISO, exposure value, shutter speed, focal length selection, and Leica Looks. Thirteen Leica Looks and five Leica bokeh simulations are included, along with a Leica Essential Mode inspired by the M9 and Monopan. It also supports the Content Authenticity Initiative for embedded image credentials.
Up front, the 6.9-inch HyperRGB OLED display offers 2608 × 1200 resolution, 1–120 Hz LTPO refresh rate, 12-bit color depth, and up to 3,500 nits peak brightness. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are supported. The battery supports 90 W wired charging and 50 W wireless charging.
The Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi is priced at €1,999.90, or about US$2,341, which is almost twice as expensive as Leitz Phone, around 300 dollars more dear than the iPhone 17 Pro Max 2 TB version.
Image: Leica.
