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Leica has launched its first ever smartphone dubbed the Leitz Phone 1 and it is a stunner

The first ever Leica smartphone, the Leitz Phone 1 is one of the prettiest smartphones of 2021. (Image: Leica)
The first ever Leica smartphone, the Leitz Phone 1 is one of the prettiest smartphones of 2021. (Image: Leica)
Leica has launched its first ever smartphone, the Leica Leitz Phone 1. The new device appears to have been designed in close partnership with Sharp and looks to be based on the recently launched Sharp Aquos R6.

Leica is best known as the maker of high-end cameras, but it has also built a reputation in smartphone cameras thanks to a recently concluded partnership with Huawei. The company recently partnered with Sharp on the Aquos R6 launched in Japan which features a Leica-branded rear camera set up. This device captured widespread attention despite a primarily Japan-only launch because it incorporates a massive 1-inch camera sensor.

Leica has now branched out with its own Leica-branded smartphone for the first time and looks like it has partnered with Sharp once again. The device features a general design that looks similar to the Aquos R6 from the front but has been given a color scheme and metal finish around the frame that gives it signature Leica appearance. The rear also gets a redesign with a distinctive large circular camera bump resembling a traditional point-and-shoot camera beneath which resides the oversize 20 MP 1-inch sensor. 

Like the Sharp Aquos R6, the Leica Leitz Phone 1 features a 6.6-inch IGZO OLED display with a 2,730 x 1,260 pixel resolution and a 240 Hz adaptive refresh rate. As you would expect, its internals are also identical to the Sharp Aquos R6 which includes a Snapdragon 888 SoC mated to 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage expandable with microSD up to 1 TB. It comes with a special Leica-skinned version of Android 11, an IP68 rating and a large 5,000 mAh battery. It goes on pre-order shortly with a release sadly limited to Japan-only for the equivalent of US$1,700.

Buy the Leica D-LUX 7 camera from Amazon.

The phone comes with a tailored case and camera cover. (Image: Leica)
The phone comes with a tailored case and camera cover. (Image: Leica)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2021 06 > Leica has launched its first ever smartphone dubbed the Leitz Phone 1 and it is a stunner
Sanjiv Sathiah, 2021-06-17 (Update: 2021-06-17)