Camera-maker Leica's latest smartphone puts major flagship devices to shame
What's the story
German camera-maker Leica has introduced Leitz Phone 2 as its latest smartphone. It is exclusive to Japan. The device bears industry-leading features, including a 1-240Hz OLED display, a 47.2MP camera with massive 1.0-inch sensor, and up to 1TB of expandable storage. It is offered in a single 12GB/512GB configuration which will be available starting November 18 for JPY 2,25,360 (nearly Rs. 1,28,800).
Context
Why does this story matter?
Leica is known for its camera expertise. The brand usually collaborates with OEMs to enhance the camera experience on their flagship smartphones. The camera giant had entered the smartphone industry last year with its debut offering, the Leitz Phone 1. A year later, the company has unveiled the Leitz Phone 2, which is based on the Sharp AQUOS R7 introduced earlier this year.
Design and display
The device gets a 1-240Hz variable refresh rate
The Leitz Phone 2 sports a centrally-aligned punch-hole cut-out, aluminum frame, and an in-screen ultrasonic fingerprint reader. It has IP68 dust and water resistance, and Gorilla Glass Victus protection on both front and back. The device sports a 6.6-inch WUXGA+ (1260x2730 pixels) Pro IGZO OLED display with a 1-240Hz variable refresh rate, and 2,000-nits of maximum brightness.
Information
It features a 1.0-inch main sensor
The Leitz Phone 2 gets a dual rear camera arrangement consisting of a 47.2MP (f/1.9) primary camera with a 1.0-inch sensor and a 1.9MP ToF sensor with Auto Focus. For selfies and video calls, it has a 12.6MP (f/2.3) front-facing camera.
Internals
The handset packs 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage
The Leitz Phone 2 is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, which comes paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage, and up to 1TB of expandable storage. The device boots Android 12 and houses a 5,000mAh battery. On the connectivity end, it supports 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, NFC, and a Type-C port.
Information
Leica Leitz Phone 2: Pricing and availability
Leica says that the Leitz Phone 2 is exclusive to the Japanese market, and it will be up for grabs from November 18. The device will retail in a lone 12GB/512GB configuration which is priced at JPY 2,25,360 (nearly Rs. 1,28,800).