Xiaomi India, Leica Announce Long-term Partnership Focused on Mobile Imaging

Xiaomi and Leica promise to “offer consumers the best elements of the” two global brands.

Written by Sucharita Ganguly, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 3 February 2023 15:00 IST

Xiaomi India, Leica Announce Long-term Partnership Focused on Mobile Imaging

Photo Credit: Xiaomi

Xiaomi 12S Ultra was launched globally in July 2022

Highlights

Xiaomi 12S Ultra was the first smartphone the two companies worked on
It allowed users to connect a Leica M-series lens to 12S Ultra phones
The brands will now work together on the Xiaomi 13 series

Xiaomi India and Leica Camera have announced a long-term strategic partnership focused on mobile imaging. The aim of the partnership “is the joint development of innovative solutions in the smartphone camera module segment as well as the optimization of optical performance. The strategic alliance between Xiaomi and Leica Camera AG demonstrates the passion to continuously push the limits of what is technologically possible,” according to the official statement. The collaboration promises to “offer consumers the best elements of the” two global brands.

The first smartphone co-engineered by the two companies, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, was launched globally in July 2022. The price of this smartphone starts at CNY 5,999 (approximately Rs. 70,700) for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. The phone is also available in a 12GB + 256GB model for CNY 6,499 (roughly Rs. 76,600) and a top-of-the-line CNY 6,999 model (roughly Rs. 82,500).

Running on Android-based MIUI 13, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, along with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. It has a 6.73-inch 2K AMOLED micro-curved display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, a touch sampling rate of up to 240Hz, and a maximum brightness of 1,500 nits. The display also supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and has a DCI-P3 colour gamut.

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The phone has three rear cameras, including a 50-megapixel 1-inch Sony IMX989 primary sensor with an f/1.9 lens and optical image stabilisation (OIS). A 48-megapixel camera sensor is also available with a periscope-shaped lens in the camera setup. There is another 48-megapixel ultra-wide lens as well. The rear camera setup includes a laser autofocus sensor and an LED flash panel. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra also has a front-facing 32-megapixel selfie camera sensor. A collaboration between Xiaomi and Leica allowed users to connect a Leica M-series lens unit to their Xiaomi 12S Ultra phones.

Xiaomi and Leica aim to develop innovative solutions and optimize optical performance in the smartphone camera module segment through their joint development and engineering efforts.

“Xiaomi has been making breakthroughs in the smartphone photography space and has extensive experience in the research and development of imaging systems and AI algorithms. Leica brings its comprehensive expertise in optical engineering, design, imaging software and consumer experience related to the art of photography to the partnership. Leica supports Xiaomi in its efforts to achieve the best possible imaging results in the field of smartphone photography – and to take it to the next level of quality,” the statement reads.

The companies were previously reported to announce their partnership at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023, where they are expected to showcase their collaboration with the Xiaomi 13 series.

How does the Redmi 12 Pro+ fare against its competitor, the Realme 10 Pro+ 5G? Is it a worthy successor to the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Xiaomi 12S Ultra

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.73-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1

Front Camera 32-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 48-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 8GB, 12GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB

Battery Capacity 4860mAh

OS Android 12

Resolution 1440x3200 pixels

More Xiaomi mobiles Xiaomi mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Xiaomi, Leica

Sucharita Ganguly

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Sucharita is a writer with Gadgets 360 and is mostly found playing with her cat in her free time. She has previously worked at breaking news desks across organizations. Powered by coffee, The Beatles, Bowie, and her newfound love for BTS, she aims to work towards contributing to a better media environment for women and queer folk. More