Xiaomi unveils the Leica Leitzphone with a rotating Leica Camera Ring, 200MP telephoto camera

Xiaomi today announced the Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra for international markets at an event in Barcelona, Spain, alongside a bunch of other products, including the Leica Leitzphone.

No, it isn't one of those Japan-exclusive Leitz Phones made by Sharp, but basically the global version of the China-exclusive Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition we already reviewed, with the most notable difference being the battery capacity.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra

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The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition packs a 6,800 mAh battery, whereas the Leica Leitzphone is fueled by a 6,000 mAh battery, just like the global Xiaomi 17 Ultra. It also comes in a single 16GB/1TB configuration and in one color - black.

Xiaomi 17

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Speaking of, the Leica Leitzphone has a fully black rear panel, unlike the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition that has a two-tone colorway. The Leica logo and text on the camera island have been rotated by 90°, while the Xiaomi logo has been moved to the center.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition • Leica Leitzphone

The rest of the specs of the Leica Leitzphone are the same as the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition. You get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, Xiaomi HyperOS 3, and a 6.9" 1,200p "HyperRGB OLED display" with Dolby Vision support and 3,500 nits peak brightness. Note that this is an LTPO display supporting a 1-120Hz refresh rate.

For photography, the Leitzphone features four cameras. There's a 50MP selfie camera on the front, with the rear triple-camera setup comprising a 50MP 1-inch type primary camera, a 200MP telephoto camera (f/2.39-2.96, 75-100mm focal length), and a 50MP ultrawide camera. All rear cameras are co-developed with Leica.

The Leitzphone also features a physical, rotating Leica Camera Ring on the back of the camera island to adjust zoom and exposure. Additionally, the smartphone comes with a Leica Essential mode to help you recreate the image quality and photographic style of iconic Leica cameras, including the Leica M3 and M9.

The Leitzphone supports 90W wired and 50W wireless charging, has an IP68 rating, and comes with an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner for biometric authentication. It also comes with Dolby Atmos tuning, Hi-Res Audio (wired and wireless), and stereo speakers.

The Leica Leitzphone is compatible with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Photography Kit Pro, which has a 2,000 mAh battery capacity. It comes in black and has a suggested retail price of €199.99.

The Leitzphone, on the other hand, is priced at €1,999 in Europe and £1,699 in the UK.

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