Xiaomi’s Leica Leitzphone mostly earns the name
TL;DR
Xiaomi's Leica Leitzphone is essentially a rebranded 17 Ultra with a rotatable camera ring, marking the first time Xiaomi can use Leica's red dot logo internationally.
Xiaomi and Leica's long-running phone partnership just got a little closer. Alongside the new international release of its 17 Ultra flagship, Xiaomi has been entrusted with manufacturing a separate version that is the first Leica Leitzphone to release outside of Japan, following three Sharp-made models exclusive to the country.
In truth, the Leitzphone is a 17 Ultra with Leica branding and a rotatable camera ring, and apart from a few design tweaks, it's mostly the same as the Leica Edition of that phone already available in China. But the branding is a big deal: Leica hasn't let Xiaomi use its red dot logo on hardware until now, even thoug …