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Xiaomi and Leica’s Leitzphone It may have impressed me with its amazing photography skills and fantastic physics wheel of settings, but it’s not the only exciting thing phone The company launched in MWC this year. The basic Xiaomi 17 Ultra retains many of the Leitzphone’s impressive specs but removes some Leica elements to be more like a regular phone.
It has the same power Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 5th generation processorIt has a 6.9-inch screen and a 6000 mAh battery. The camera hardware is also identical, with the main camera using the same size LOFIC image sensor and telephoto zoom using moving lens elements for continuous optical zoom. It’s a very powerful camera setup I’m sure of that I loved the photos I took with her.
So what’s the difference between this and a Leitzphone? Well, it lacks a physical control wheel around the camera module for one thing. Although I enjoyed using the dial, especially when I set it to control exposure compensation, it’s not at all annoying that the 17 Ultra lacks it. There are no Leica color profiles in the camera app that allow you to emulate the tones you get from regular standalone Leica cameras. Which is unfortunate because I adore the look of many of these profiles – especially the Leica Chrome – but that’s just one man’s opinion. May you never miss them.
The base Ultra doesn’t have the dedicated black-and-white Leica Android interface either, but I don’t really like it anyway, as I find it difficult to spot an app that doesn’t have proper color cues.
Physically, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra ditches the red dot Leica logo on the back and the “Leica Camera Germany” engraving on the side, which isn’t a big deal if you’re not a Leica fan. Instead of a simple black and silver, the 17 Ultra comes in a deep, shiny green which I really like. It reminds me of a high-end kitchen countertop and I honestly mean that as a high compliment.
The 17 Ultra is ostensibly the same as the Leitzphone; It’s less forthcoming about its Leica credentials. It also comes at a lower price, costing £1,299 in the UK instead of the £1,699 you’ll need to pay for the Leica model. Neither phone will be officially offered in the US, but for reference, those prices roughly translate to $1,750 and $2,290.
Is it worth the extra £400? Well, if you’re a photography enthusiast like me and love the idea of having a Leica product in your pocket, then sure. The control wheel and Leica color profiles provide a great shooting experience. But the base model is still an amazing camera and that bright green design is really beautiful.
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