is a news editor with over a decade’s experience in journalism. He previously worked at Android Police and Tech Advisor.
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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 though the companies have partnered on Xiaomi’s flagship cameras since 2022. The jump to a fully Leica-branded phone is a vote of confidence from the camera company.
After two weeks using the Leitzphone version of the 17 Ultra, it’s clear that confidence was well placed. This is my favorite phone of 2026 so far, Leica logo or not, though most buyers would be better off saving money with the standard 17 Ultra.
The 17 Ultra and its original Leica Edition launched in China on December 25th, 2025. The international version and the Leitzphone were launched at Xiaomi’s pre-MWC press conference in Barcelona on February 28th, alongside the regular Xiaomi 17. The 17 Ultra starts from £1,299 / €1,499 (about $1,750) with 512GB storage, rising by £400 / €700 for the Leica version. That’s a hefty premium, but there are a few differences from the regular 17 Ultra.
Let’s start with the Leica of it all. It’s obvious first and foremost in the design: an ever-so-slightly glossy black finish on the back, an industrial touch in the knurled aluminum-alloy edges, and Leica’s red dot logo in one corner. It’s a slightly different design to the 17 Ultra Leica Edition that released in China at the end of December, which has a two-tone finish and orients the Leica logo the other way. It also ships with branded accessories, including a faux leather case with a Leica lens cap, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and a bright red wrist strap.
The Leica logo isn’t just printed on; that lettering is raised metal. The textured edges make the phone more grippy, even without a case. My favorite accessory by far is this case, which preserves the red dot logo and adds a lens cap.
Other changes run through the software. While both versions of the 17 Ultra run Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3, based on Android 16, the Leitzphone’s interface has been customized. There are dedicated Leica widgets, including photo galleries and a golden-hour timer, and custom monochrome app icons for the most popular apps from Xiaomi and third parties — which look great when you first turn the phone on, but less so once they’re mixed in with all the non-monochromatic apps you’ll inevitably download from elsewhere.
Leica and Xiaomi’s design languages coexist in the camera app.
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