Xiaomi Partners With Camera Maker Leica, First Smartphone With Leica-Branded Camera In July

Xiaomi is the latest smartphone maker to partner with a legacy camera manufacturer. The company has announced its partnership with German camera-maker Leica, and the first smartphone from the partnership is said to be launched in July this year.

This comes as the latest partnership among smartphone makers and camera companies. Currently, OnePlus has a multi-year partnership with Swedish brand Hassleblad, and Vivo has a partnership with Zeiss for its cameras for flagship smartphones. Xiaomi has said that the first smartphone out of this partnership will be launched in July 2022, but did not give any details about the device. Reports have suggested that the smartphone will be the Xiaomi 12 Ultra. “Look forward to a new era of mobile photography in July!” the company said in its announcement.

The partnership between Leica and Xiaomi will see both the companies working closely together for everything from optical design to “aesthetic orientations and product philosophies and imaging preferences.”

“Xiaomi and Leica agree with each other’s pursuits and ideas and appreciate each other’s advantages and industry. This cooperation will provide a strong boost to Xiaomi’s imaging strategy. During the cooperation, from optical design to tuning aesthetic orientations, the innovative technologies, product philosophies and imaging preferences of both parties have experienced unprecedented in- depth collision and fusion,” Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s founder and CEO said.

Leica, the German camera manufacturer was earlier in partnership with Huawei for the last four years. The collaboration between Huawei and Leica was seen on the Huawei P30 Pro, Huawei P40, and Huawei P50 series. With Huawei facing several challenges in many markets across the world, both brands decided to end the partnership.

In 2022, Leica has partnered with Xiaomi, the company whose maker share has been growing since the past couple of quarters. Xiaomi’s Mmi 11 Ultra and Xiaomi 12 Pro have also been successful devices, and it only makes sense for the company to bring-in experts and have a larger focus on an improved camera system.

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