Softbank's new Leica-branded phone is cool, but we've seen it before
Hey everyone, Leica has a phone!
It's called the Leitz Phone 1 (via Engadget), and it's the first time a phone has been thoroughly branded as a Leica phone, though it's actually being sold in Japan by mobile giant SoftBank.
The focus, of course, is on the camera system, though it will sound a little odd compared to most smartphones these days. The phone has just one, 20-megapixel, f/1.9 camera on the back, though the camera has a 1-inch sensor, which is the biggest you can currently get on a phone. On the front, there's a 12.6-megapixel selfie camera.
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Other than that, the phone is definitely flagship material, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage (expandable via microSD cards). The display is a 6.6-inch OLED with a 2,730x1,260 pixel resolution and a 240Hz variable refresh rate. Finally, the phone has a 5,000mAh battery, and IP68 dust/water resistance.
This being a Leica phone, buyers will get a few other tidbits, such as a mostly monochrome UI customized by Leica, as well as a nifty case and a lens cap for the absolutely massive camera bump on the back.
However, the phone isn’t exactly new: It’s a rebranded and redesigned Sharp Aquos R6 with the exact same specs, down to that massive rear camera (though the Leitz Phone 1 does come with double the storage memory out of the box). There’s nothing odd about this: Leica often lends branding and expertise to other smartphone companies. But now, Softbank is essentially re-launching a Sharp phone, with Leica branding, as a Leica phone. Inception!
The pre-orders for the Leitza Phone 1 are kicking off in Japan on June 18, with availability starting in late July. The price is 187,920 yen ($1,700), and there's no info on whether the phone will be available internationally.
Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.
