Leica camera company launches first smartphone

Called Leitz Phone 1, Leica's first smartphone will only be sold in Japan. Its selling price is at 1,700 USD. If you are observant, you will realize that Leitz Phone 1 is just a renamed version, slightly adjusted in the design of Sharp Aquos R6 smartphone.

In fact, Leica has also confirmed that the Leitz Phone 1 is a co-developed product between Leica and Sharp based on the Aquos R6. With its unique design and distinctive user interface, the Leitz Phone 1 is on a mission to bring the true Leica experience to smartphone users.

The Leitz Phone 1 has a matte black glass back with a "Leica aluminum" frame. The device also has an additional protective cap for the camera lens.

Like the Aquos R6, the special feature of Leitz Phone 1 lies in the 20MP rear camera with the world's largest sensor with 19mm focal length and f/1.9 aperture. The difference is that while the Aqous R6 has a square camera cluster, the Leitz Phone 1 has a circular camera cluster. Next to the camera cluster is a red logo that represents Leica's expensiveness.

The software interface of Leitz Phone 1 has also been changed to match the design. The entire interface uses a simple, dark font, and the camera app also adds the ability to take black and white photos.

Other parameters of Leitz Phone 1 include: Snapdragon 888 chip, 12GB RAM, 256GB ROM, 5000mAh battery and IP68 water resistance. Leitz Phone 1 and Sharp Aquos R6 both use 6.6-inch IGZO OLED screens manufactured by Sharp with a resolution of 2730x1260 pixels, the same scan frequency that can "simulate" 240Hz (real scan frequency is 120Hz).

Lesley Montoya

Update 17 June 2021