At an event in Barcelona, Xiaomi expanded its global lineup with the Xiaomi 17 series and a new device called the Xiaomi Leica Leitzphone.

Despite the fancier name, it’s essentially the international version of the China-exclusive Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition, with a few changes meant for global markets. 

Xiaomi Leica Leitzphone Specifications

The biggest difference is battery size. While the Chinese variant packs a 6,800mAh battery, the Leitzphone and regular Xiaomi 17 Ultra both feature a 6,000mAh cell.

The Leitzphone comes in a single black finish with a fully black rear panel. It’s available in just one configuration: 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

Under the hood, the hardware remains identical to the Leica Edition sold in China. The phone runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3. Up front, there’s a 6.9-inch LTPO “HyperRGB” OLED display with a 1–120Hz adaptive refresh rate. It supports Dolby Vision and can reach up to 3,500 nits of peak brightness.

Cameras are, unsurprisingly, the focus here. The Leitzphone features a 50-megapixel front-facing camera and a triple rear setup co-developed with Leica. The main sensor is a 1-inch type 50-megapixel unit, joined by a 200-megapixel telephoto lens with a variable focal range between 75mm and 100mm, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera.

Xiaomi has also added a physical rotating Leica Camera Ring around the camera module. It allows users to adjust zoom and exposure manually. There’s also a Leica Essential mode that aims to recreate the look of classic Leica cameras like the M3 and M9.

The phone supports 90W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. It carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and includes an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner. Audio features include Dolby Atmos tuning, stereo speakers, and Hi-Res Audio support for both wired and wireless listening.

For users who want to go further into photography territory, the Leitzphone is compatible with Xiaomi’s Photography Kit Pro. The accessory adds a 2,000mAh battery and a more camera-like grip, complete with physical controls.

What’s different between the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and the Xiaomi Leica Leitz Phone?

At their core, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra (global version) and the Leica Leitzphone share nearly identical specifications, including the processor, display, and camera hardware. The key differences are:

• Design: The Leitz Phone has a fully black finish and adjusted branding placement, while the 17 Ultra comes in Black, White, and Starlit Green.
• Configuration: The Leitzphone is limited to a single 16GB/1TB variant, while the Xiaomi 17 Ultra comes in 16/512GB and 16GB/1TB variants.
• Rotatable Camera Ring: While the Leica Leitzphone has a rotatable camera ring, the regular Xiaomi 17 Ultra lacks it. Though both support photography kits.

Pricing and Availability

The Leica Leitzphone is set at €1,999 in Europe and £1,699 in the UK. That places it well above the standard Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which starts at €1,499.

For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.

Stay ahead in tech! Join our Telegram community and sign up for our daily newsletter of top stories.

The post Xiaomi launches Leica Leitzphone with a dedicated photography kit for camera enthusiasts appeared first on Gizmochina.