I just tried the new Leitzphone with a powerful Leica lens, and this might be the phone to finally take me away from Google Pixel
In the lead up to MWC Barcelona 2026 and on the heels of Xiaomi renewing its partnership with Leica, Leica revealed its first-ever international smartphone at the Xiaomi Launch Conference on 28 February, and it’s called the Leitzphone. Powered by Xiaomi, the Leitzphone brings advanced imaging capabilities to a sleek, premium-looking smartphone.
With the Leitzphone, Leica is diving straight into the vast world of smartphones, and its bringing some of the tech found in its best mirrorless cameras to the palm of your hands. The Leitzphone packs a triple-camera system based on the Vario-APO-Summilux 14-100mm f/1.67–2.9 ASPH. lens, and the smartphone can capture 200MP images. A powerful processor and operating system are packed into a sleek, premium-looking body.
A quick rundown
- What is it? The Leitzphone is Leica’s first-ever smartphone, and it’s powered by Xiaomi. It packs Leica’s imaging tech, such as a 75-100mm optical zoom, optical image stabilization, autofocus and more. Xiaomi has “provided a powerful mobile platform that enables high-performance processing and efficient workflows,” but this is a Leica through and through.
- Who is it for? It’s a smartphone aimed at mobile photographers, or anyone who wants to take their photography to the next level. Sporting Leica’s classic red dot on the back, it’s the cheapest way of getting a Leica right now.
- How much does it cost? The Leica Leitzphone has a suggested retail price of approximately $2,100 / £1,700.00 / €1,999.00, and Leica is yet to confirm whether this is for the 512GB or 1TB model.
- When is it available to buy? Starting today (28 February), the Leica Leitzphone will be available via the official Leica website, Leica Stores and through select partner channels. More details yet to come.
The mindblowing 200MP camera is a winner
The Leitzphone is a well-endowed smartphone when it comes to its imaging specs, and as a photographer, its cameras are what had me most excited when I first heart of it — and they don’t disappoint. The Leitzphone is fitted with four cameras: three on the back and a selfie camera on the front. Its main camera captures 50MP images at an f/1.67 aperture, and it has a 23mm full frame equivalent focal length. You also get an ultra-wide 50MP f/2.2 lens with a 115° FOV and a 14mm full frame equivalent focal length.
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The photos in the gallery above were taken with the 50MP main camera, and I love how the colors have turned out. The oranges are bright while the greens are vivid, and the Leitzphone has captured plenty of detail in the photos of the birds and the squirrel. You can get really close to your subjects without moving an inch, thanks to the 120x zoom. Though you lose some sharpness and the image quality drops in terms of detail, such as in the last shot of the squirrel, the image has still turned out lovely.
And you see the photos of the European robin? I captured these when the robin was right overhead, perched on a tree branch that must have been thrice my height (so approximately 16.5 feet), and yet, the Leitzphone has done an excellent job of capturing it. The Leitzphone’s triple-camera system features autofocus, and I found it quick to lock onto the animals. You also get optical image stabilization (OIS), which means that the smartphone eliminates camera shake and captures in-focus shots — handy for when you’re shooting zoomed in or at slow shutter speeds.
But the main event is the 200MP 75-100mm telephoto lens with a variable f/2.39-2.96 aperture, and an optical zoom resulting in up to 400mm (17.2x) optical-level zoom. Images taken with an optical zoom are more highly detailed than ones taken with a digital zoom as the camera has to digitally crop the image rather than optically magnifying it. The Leitzphone’s 200MP camera stitches nine images together to create one image, and the results are incredible.
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As someone who absolutely adores her Google Pixel 10 Pro XL’s cameras, I have to say, the Leitzphone blows Google’s offering out of the water. While the Pixel 10 Pro XL uses AI to upscale images shot at long focal lengths, the Leitzphone doesn’t, and that’s something I really appreciate as images then turn out true-to-life. You can see samples in the gallery above.
The Leitzphone also features Leica’s color profiles, which you’ll find on its mirrorless cameras, such as the Leica Q3 43 and the Leica SL3. These include Vivid, Chrome, and Monochrome High Contrast. The last one is my favorite, and it’s one I’ve used a fair bit on the likes of the Leica M11-D (black-and-white photos in the gallery above were shot with this color profile applied).
Alongside all of this, you also get a Leica Essential Mode, which recreates the iconic style of the Leica M9 and simulates the Leica M3 and ultra-fine MONOPAN 50 black-and-white film. Shutter speed, exposure and ISO can be manually adjusted, and to add to the photography experience, there’s a Control Ring around the cameras for zooming in and out — but I have a bone to pick with it (more on that soon).
A sight for sore eyes
Every time I test a Leica camera, I’m blown away by the build quality and design. The German giant’s cameras are sleek and extremely good-looking — they look as expensive as they cost. The same applies to the Leica Leitzphone.
This is a beautiful phone, sporting a black fibreglass rear panel with a knurled metal frame. The ridges along the edges of the phone make it more tactile to hold and use, and I never once felt like it was slipping out of my hands — as I often feel that way when using my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL without its case on.
Located in the top left corner around the back is Leica’s classic red dot which adds to the Leitzphone’s premium look and feel. You know you’re holding and using a high-quality smartphone. I’ve found the Leitzphone an utter delight to use and carry around. The smartphone is compact and lightweight too, measuring 6.41 x 3.05 x 0.32 inches and weighing 7.88oz. If you’re worried about the smartphone getting scratched, Leica includes a phone case as well as a lens cap for its camera system and a wrist strap in the box.
The 6.9-inch Xiaomi HyperRGB OLED display is also bright and colorful. According to Leica and Xiaomi, the Leitzphone can reach a peak brightness of 3,500 nits, and features a 120Hz refresh rate. In my testing, I found the screen easy to read, even in direct sunlight, and the touchscreen was extremely responsive and quick to register my touches and taps. I also like that the Leitzphone is IP68 dust and water resistant, as this enabled me to use the smartphone even when it started raining (which happens very often in the U.K. where I’m based).
“Best of both worlds” OS
The Leica Leitzphone is powered by Xiaomi, which means it uses the Xiaomi HyperOS 3 operating system and a Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. As someone who has mostly used iPhones and Android phones in her life, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the Leitzphone’s operating system. It feels like the best of both worlds to me. You can add dynamic elements to its lock screen wallpaper — similar to the ones on iOS 26 — to create a 3D effect. This is something I always wished my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL had, so I’m happy to see it appear here.
Also similar to iOS is the fact that you need to pull down from the screen’s top-right corner to access quick settings, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, etc., and pull from the middle to access the notifications drawer. Other aspects of the OS feel similar to Android, which I appreciate as a long-time Android user.
Battery life seems solid too. After six hours of being out and about and using the camera extensively, I still had 75% battery remaining, which blows my mind. This is thanks to a 6,000mAh Xiaomi Surge battery. The Leitzphone supports 90W HyperCharge (fast charging) and 50W wireless HyperCharge, so there are plenty of ways to top up the smartphone between charges.
But the camera Control Ring could be better
For the most part, I adore the Leica Leitzphone, but I have a bone to pick with the Control Ring located around the camera system on the back. The Control Ring enables you to zoom in and out, and it can quickly launch the camera too when your phone is locked. However, this free-moving wheel (which provides haptic feedback when turned) makes an annoying sound when you shake the smartphone ever so slightly. At first I thought something was wrong with it, but turns out that’s just how it behaves (if you don’t have the included lens cap on).
Another issue I have with the Control Ring is that it moves freely. There’s no resistance so even if you have its functions disabled via the settings menu, it still moves. I suppose it can act as a fidget toy, as I often found myself playing with it while sitting idly. But it still isn’t great news, and I wish it would stay locked in place when you weren’t using it.
Leica Leitzphone: Outlook
The Leica Leitzphone is a mighty impressive phone, based on my week of use and first impressions. It’s a delight to use thanks to its OS that blends the best of Android and iOS operating systems. Its sleek and extremely good-looking. Its Leica-powered cameras feature a 75-100mm optical zoom, optical image stabilization, autofocus, and can capture hi-res 200MP images that are sharp and very detailed.
It’s also the cheapest way of buying a Leica, as most of Leica’s mirrorless cameras and rangefinders retail for five grand, if not more. The Leitzphone’s price feels just right, as the smartphone has a suggested retail price of $2,100 / £1,700. For the cameras, clean operating system, and the sleek design, it’s a price I’d be willing to pay.
The Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi is available to order from 28 February either directly from Leica or select retailers, and it comes with either 512GB or 1TB of internal storage.
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