Leica is continuing to expand its smartphone business and today they announced a new “Leitz Phone 1” with a 22MP 1-inch sensor and f/1.9 Summicron lens. There have been rumors about a Leica phone since 2017 (see also this post). The new phone is a rebadge of the Sharp Aquos R6 smartphone.
Here are the Leitz Phone 1 details:
- Made in Japan by SoftBank
Price: around $1,700 - Press release (translated)
- Hands-on picture by DC. Watch
- Additional coverage:
“Following the long-time collaboration with Huawei and the more recent Sharp Aquos R6, Leica is finally launching its own smartphone. Announced at a Tokyo press conference earlier today, the Leitz Phone 1 is Leica’s first self-branded mobile phone, and it’ll be a Softbank exclusive when it launches in July. The camera maker isn’t afraid to admit that the Leitz Phone 1 is actually a rebadged Aquos R6 (which isn’t a bad thing at all), with the former emphasizing a “true Leica experience” down to the level of industrial design and user interface.” (Engadget)
“The camera system is of course going to be paramount for a device like this, and the hardware here is certainly unusual. There’s a single 20-megapixel 1-inch sensor — the biggest in any phone — with a 19mm-equivalent f/1.9 ultrawide lens, meaning other focal lengths need to use digital zoom.” (The Verge)
ライカ独自スマホ「LEITZ PHONE 1」（ライツフォーン・ワン）
・1インチセンサ搭載
・スナドラ888に12GB RAM
・6.6インチ IGZO OLED
・磁気式レンズキャップが同梱
・シャープが製造を担当
・ソフトバンク独占販売
・6/18予約開始、7月発売
・税込18万7920円https://t.co/wZlU7GF85w pic.twitter.com/LMllyu1eeq— 小口貴宏 / EngadgetJP (@TKoguchi787) June 17, 2021
同梱の磁気式レンズカバーhttps://t.co/wZlU7GF85w pic.twitter.com/xo9GvtT93a
— 小口貴宏 / EngadgetJP (@TKoguchi787) June 17, 2021
