Once a supplier of camera lenses to renowned smartphone manufacturers, Leica has now launched its own flagship mobile phone.
Leica's first flagship smartphone.
Leica's smartphone, the Leitz Phone 1, is currently sold in limited quantities in Japan and is exclusively distributed by Softbank.
The Leitz Phone 1 mimics Leica cameras. The silver metal frame contrasts with the black back panel, featuring the familiar curved design. The large, circular rear camera module is accompanied by the iconic "red dot" Leica logo. This camera module also has a magnetic cover, similar to professional cameras.
The Leitz Phone 1's camera section has a magnetic cover, similar to professional cameras.
This smartphone has only one rear camera, using the world's largest sensor – 1 inch, with a 20-megapixel resolution and a 19mm focal length lens with an f/1.9 aperture. The front camera has a 12-megapixel resolution.
The product also boasts an impressive configuration, featuring a 6.6-inch curved display using Sharp's IGZO OLED technology, 2K+ resolution (2730x1260), a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 240Hz sampling rate. Inside, it houses Qualcomm's top-of-the-line Snapdragon 888 processor, coupled with 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and support for an external memory card slot.
The product is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery, supports 5G connectivity, and is waterproof to IP68 standard (submersible in water at a depth of 1.5 m for 30 minutes). The Leitz Phone 1 runs on Android 11, with a user interface developed by Leica.
Is it simply an improved version of the Aquos R6?
With these specifications, the Leitz Phone 1 is similar to what Sharp brought to the Aquos R6 a month ago. The Aquos R6 is a smartphone with a Leica-branded lens camera and a 120Hz Pro IGZO OLED display, similar to the Leitz Phone 1. The main difference is that the Aquos R6 does not come with a lens cap and the distinctive Leica packaging.
Sharp's Aquos R6 series.
SoftBank is selling the Aquos R6 alongside the Leitz Phone 1, and the company doesn't hide the similarities between the two phones. SoftBank positions the Aquos R6 as a phone for users who simply want a smartphone with a Leica-branded lens, while the Leitz Phone 1 is for those who value Leica's hardware design.
Currently, the Leitz Phone 1 is sold exclusively by SoftBank in Japan for 187,920 yen (approximately 39 million VND).
You might not know this
The name Leitz is inspired by the surname of Leica's founder, Ernst Leitz. Initially, Ernst Leitz named his company Leitz, but in 1986, the company was renamed Leica, a combination of the first three letters of the founder's surname (Leitz) and the first two letters of Camera, the main field in which the company operates.
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