Alongside a global launch for Xiaomi’s 17 Ultra (read about that right here), the company announced a further deepening of its relationship with Leica. The CEO of Leica, Matthias Harsch, took to the stage to announce a new Leitzphone, which appears to be an even deeper collaboration than 17 Ultra by Leica, which is a different<\/em> phone. Confused? That’s fair.<\/p>\n Design-wise, Leica has shifted back to a single tone body color, which looks more “Leica” to this camera dilettante’s eyes. And if you\u2019re thinking you\u2019ve heard of the Leitzphone before, you probably have: it was a series of phones made by Sharp that launched in Japan in 2021. They all had a 1-inch camera sensor, as does Xiaomi\u2019s first Leitzphone. It also has a mechanical, physical ring dial around the camera unit to control settings like zoom, exposure and shutter speed.<\/p>\n The camera interface is also designed by Leica. It’s designed to be as intuitive as possible, with an Essential mode in the camera app that strips away all those modes and labels, showcasing whatever you’re looking to shoot. You can switch between a monochrome shooting mode and a more familiar punchy, contrasty Leica filter. And that’s it.<\/p>\n Aside from that there’s no major standout interface or UI changes that I could spot while trying out the Leitzphone briefly at Xiaomi’s MWC keynote. However, if you’re intrigued by the functionality \u2014 or the cameras \u2014 check out our hands-on coverage and sample photos of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. The cameras are good<\/em>.<\/p>\n