After a week with the Leica Leitzphone, I’m convinced this is everything I want from a camera phone

This isn’t the first Leitzphone – camera icon Leica previously teamed up with Sharp for a handful of Japanese exclusive smartphones. But now that Xiaomi is on production duties, the UK and Europe have finally been deemed worthy.

Looking at the spec sheet, it’s about damn time: this is essentially an even more premium version of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which was already at the bleeding edge of cameraphone hardware. The oversized 1-inch main sensor has been carried over unchanged, as have the 50MP ultrawide and 200MP telephoto. A clever variable zoom lens lets the latter to do a job that took two separate sensors on the last-gen Xiaomi 15 Ultra. The rotating ring that surrounds the giant rear camera island, though? That’s a Leica original.

Twisting it lets you jump between focal lengths, control exposure when shooting videos, or toggle through the handful of colour filters that mimic ones built into Leica’s lustworthy digital camera lineup. Physical controls make you feel that much more connected to the hardware than simply tapping on a screen, though the haptic feedback could’ve been stronger and it’s a little too easy to knock accidentally.

Having used one as my only camera for the past few weeks, I’ve been blown away by the images it can take. Combined with an extensive accessory kit, it truly blurs the lines between multi-talented phone and purpose-built photography tool.

Lots to Leica

It’s not just the firm’s celebrated Red Dot that helps the Leitzphone stand apart from the Xiaomi original. A bespoke ridged finish gives the metal mid-frame plenty of extra grip when taking photos, and made me want to keep it out of the rather lavish leatherette case Leica puts in the box.

There’s been no skimping on other accessories, with a felt-lined metal lens cap that keeps the rear glass fingerprint-free, a quality braided wrist strap (very handy, given the phone’s top-heavy nature) and cleaning cloth completing the set. While the case can’t accommodate the Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s Photography Kit Pro camera grip, you can slot the phone into that kit’s bundled case – it even plays nicely with the rotating rear dial.

I loved being able to bolt a 67mm filter in front of the lens – virtually all of my test shots below were taken with a polarising filter fitted – and the grip provides all the purchase you could want, while also putting a handful of mechanical controls within easy reach, including a two-stage shutter button. Even fully assembled, I could still get the phone in and out of my jeans pocket – something the Oppo Find X9 Pro and its Hasselblad teleconverter lens accessory can’t manage.

The Leica touches go more than skin-deep, with Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3 Android interface wearing an exclusive Leica theme. It’s tastefully done, using the same fonts and icons as the Leica Q3 camera. I particularly liked the Golden Hour widget, which lets you know when to head outdoors and get the best light for dramatic photos.

Naturally the camera app goes even further, with an Essential mode that replicates the look of the firm’s legendary M3 and M9 cameras to a T. The Portrait mode does similar for Leica lenses. Both give you a potted history of the film, camera or glass you’re about to emulate, along with some useful before/after sample shots indicating what effect they’ll have on your snaps.

There can be a little bit of choice paralysis, with the number of Leica ‘looks’ entering the double digits, but I quickly found my favourites. It’s a breeze to jump between different settings, and you can have the camera remember the last one used if you favour it over the Standard filter.

Set faces to stunned

This would all be for naught if the photos it took weren’t up to snuff, but the Leitzphone is comfortably among the best of the breed. Image quality is outstanding, in pretty much every kind of light. Fine details are preserved with almost zero noise, even as the sun starts to set. Sharpening is always controlled and things don’t fall apart as soon as you reach for the digital zoom.

There’s great exposure, colour and contrast consistency across the three rear lenses, while the Leica filters can give even mundane scenes major impact. Even left at stock settings, the large lead sensor gives everything a film-like look that rivals simply can’t match. None of the images above have been edited on a laptop or processed on the phone itself beyond a bit of cropping.

The telephoto lens became a natural choice for portraits, delivering a good amount of natural bokeh blur even before I reached for the Portrait mode.

Leave the Leica filters alone and quality is on par with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra – which is to say class-leading, with just a hint of analogue-like feel and a sense of depth you won’t find anywhere else.

It’s still a fantastic phone

Beyond the cameras, software and styling, the Leitzphone is otherwise a match for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. That means it’s an absolute powerhouse of a flagship phone, in almost every respect.

Qualcomm’s top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset is blazing fast, demolishing just about any software you care to put in its path – especially when paired to the Leitzphone’s healthy 16GB of memory. I could multitask without any issue, none of my apps ever chugged or stuttered, and games flew along at high frame rates.

With a 6000mAh battery inside, the Leitzphone can easily cope with a full day of photography. Used more like a phone than a camera, however, you might see a day and a half between charges. It then tops up at a rapid 80W (with a compatible power brick) and can also manage 50W wireless refuels.

You pay for the badge

Just like anything else that wears a Leica badge, the Leitzphone carries a hefty price premium over the competition. It means only Leica superfans need apply; smartphone snappers on more realistic budgets should check out the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which can be had with 512GB of storage for considerably less (though still flagship-grade) cash.

The two are tied on performance, being among the fastest of the current smartphone crop, and have identical AMOLED displays that shine very brightly indeed. Battery life isn’t quite class-leading but still goes further than anything from the Google or Samsung stables – as do the charging speeds.

If money is no object and you want your phone to feel as close to a camera as possible, however, then look no further.