Leica Camera AG presents the LEITZ PHONE 1, a new milestone in the company's history
The Leitz Phone 1 will be sold exclusively in Japan from July 16. With the first smartphone of its own, Leica Camera AG sets another milestone in the company's 100-year plus history and once again underlines its constant pursuit of the highest quality technical innovations. The Leitz Phone 1 will embody Leica’s passion for concentration on what is essential – ‘Das Wesentliche’ – uncompromising quality, iconic design, and outstanding picture quality. Smartphone-photography has become a method for instantaneous communication – a visual language without limits. The Leitz Phone 1 strives to enable every user to become his own witness - to capture and share personal moments and experiences of everyday life with pictures of unique Leica quality.
The Leitz Phone 1 will feature a 1-inch image sensor with 20.2 megapixels, which is exceptionally large and powerful for smartphones as well as a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 888 5G Mobile Platform. In combination with a fast f/1.9 lens and up to 6-fold digital zoom the integrated Leica lens technology of the Leitz Phone 1 delivers brilliant pictures in RAW and JPEG formats that will impress with high quality and true-to-life detail, especially in large-format prints. Every image taken with the Leitz Phone 1 will reflect the essence of Leica image quality and testimony Leica’s unparalleled optical capability and image software expertise. The "Leitz Looks" mode was integrated into the camera application specifically for this purpose. The mode, which is based on the visual language of the Leica M Monochrom, is the first integrated Leitz Look. Additional "Leitz Looks" will be made available with later firmware updates that harness the Snapdragon 888’s 6th Generation Qualcomm® AI Engine. A further highlight will be the pre-installed “LFI.Widget”. Presenting the best photos from the Leica Fotografie International Gallery - the curated platform for Leica photographers worldwide.
The unique iconic Leica design of the Leitz Phone 1, created by the company’s own design studio in Munich/Germany, is entirely new to the smartphone world. As with the cameras, Leica follows the credo "reduced to the essentials" here. In addition to the clear, minimal and intuitive handling characteristics, drawn from Leica cameras, the Leitz Phone 1 also sets an entirely new benchmark in terms of its looks. Its aluminium case in Leica silver is encased in a layer of glass in which a 3D Leica logo is seamlessly embedded in a matt-black background of Gorilla-glass. Sophisticated details such as the knurled edges of the aluminium frame not only epitomise the high degree of technical precision and passion for details for which the brand is renowned, but also underline the characteristic commitment to functionality and joy of use in the design of Leica products. The discreet and innovative lens cover with a magnetic attachment system is unique, complementing both the functional and emotional elements of the Leica design philosophy, with a nod to the brands enigmatic past. The clarity and the premium finish of the silicon case provides protection against dust and moisture and further highlights the premium and sophisticated aesthetics of all Leica products. Integrated into the display will be the Qualcomm® 3D Sonic Max, Qualcomm Technologies’ largest in-display fingerprint sensor for smartphones and works even when fingers are wet.
Dr Andreas Kaufmann, Majority Shareholder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG: ‘Leica has a long-established tradition that is and always has been characterised by the constant pursuit of technical innovation. We welcome smartphones because they make a very valuable contribution to the world of photography. Never before have people taken as many pictures as they do today: billions of pictures are posted online every day. For Leica, the presentation of the Leitz Phone 1 is the next and logical step on the path to the technologies and markets of the future. Personally, it fills me with pride when I see that Leica Camera AG will once again set a significant milestone in both the history of the company and smartphone photography with the Leitz Phone 1.’
The Leitz Phone 1 will be produced exclusively for the Japanese market in collaboration with Sharp Corporation and will be distributed by the Operator SoftBank, Japan’s leading distributor of information and communications technology.
Leica Camera – A Partner for Photography
Leica Camera AG is an international, premium manufacturer of cameras and sports optics. The legendary reputation of the Leica brand is based on a long tradition of excellent quality, German craftsmanship and German industrial design, combined with innovative technologies. An integral part of the brand's culture is the diversity of activities the company undertakes for the advancement of photography. In addition to the Leica Galleries and Leica Akademies spread around the world, there are the Leica Hall of Fame Award and, in particular, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA), which is considered one of the most innovative sponsorship awards existing today. Furthermore, Leica Camera AG, with its headquarters in Wetzlar, Hesse, and a second production site in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal, has a worldwide network of its own national organisations and Leica Retail Stores.