After a couple of rumors, the Xiaomi and Leica partnership has been confirmed.
Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has announced a long-term strategic partnership with German camera maker Leica, which is also known to offer its expertise to other camera brands like Huawei.
The result of the partnership, which we could safely assume is a smartphone with Leica-equipped camera prowess, is confirmed to arrive in July.
This confirmation came after a couple of rumors claim that Leica is looking for new partners as it ends its partnership with Huawei, whose smartphone business is struggling since the US sanctions.
It is said that the P50 series will be the last of the Huawei-Leica partnership. Huawei has denied the reports back in 2020.
A couple of renders suggest that the first Leica-powered Xiaomi device is the upcoming Xiaomi 12 Ultra flagship. The device is expected to have four cameras, led by a 50-megapixel IMX800 sensor and a periscope-style lens.
“We are convinced that the first jointly developed imaging flagship smartphone makes the pioneering progress of both companies visible. We will provide consumers in the field of mobile photography exceptional image quality, classic Leica aesthetics, unrestricted creativity, and will open a new era of mobile imaging,”
Matthias Harsch, CEO of Leica Camera AG