Xiaomi will show an exceptional piece of hardware on Saturday! The Leica Leitzphone will be every photographer's dream

When you say Leica, most people imagine iconic cameras with a red dot. Xiaomi has been friends with the German brand for several years, and one result is a special edition of the flagship model Xiaomi 17 Ultra. We only knew this from the Chinese market until now, but a few days before the global unveiling, photos of the version intended for the rest of the world leaked. And it will bear a different name and a slightly different look.

Leica Edition becomes Leica Leitzphone

In China, the phone is sold as the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition. For the global market, however, Xiaomi has chosen a different approach – the device will be named Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi. The reason? Most likely an effort to emphasize the Leica brand even more strongly and bring the phone closer to customers who view the German camera manufacturer with respect.

Holy fuckkkkkkk! Leitzphone! 😍 ❤️ 🇹🇭#streetphotography #xiaomi14series #shotonsnapdragon #Xiaomi14Ultra #xiaomi @Xiaomi @XiaomiIndia @XiaomiJapan pic.twitter.com/KLpVdnKW7j

— Frank 🇨🇦📱 (@Frankforphones) February 23, 2026

The leaked photos come from Thailand, where the phone has apparently already gone on pre-sale. The images appear authentic and show no signs of manipulation, so we can get a fairly clear picture of how the global version differs from the Chinese one.

Different color, different frame, rotated inscriptions

The Chinese Leica Edition comes in two color variants – white and black – both featuring a distinctive two-tone design that gives the phone the look of a classic camera. For the global version, Xiaomi has abandoned this concept. Instead, you get a uniform dark gray color, reminiscent of the finish on Leica camera bodies.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica edition global. From what I saw no M9 additional cloud processing?!

I asked was no additional options to process just choose M9 or M3.

Am I missing a button??

Definitely prefer Chinese design pic.twitter.com/BNJHYQUb0k

— Frank 🇨🇦📱 (@Frankforphones) February 23, 2026

Another change is the silver frame instead of black, and a remarkable detail: all inscriptions on the back, including the Leica logo and optics description, are rotated by 90 degrees. They are thus read correctly when you hold the phone vertically – that is, how most people use it. In China, on the other hand, the inscriptions correspond to a horizontal orientation, as if it were a real camera.

Zoom wheel remains, specs too

What remains unchanged, however, is the most interesting feature – the physical zoom ring around the rear camera module. This functions as a real lens control, allowing for zooming, focusing, and exposure control.

Hardware-wise, the core remains identical to the standard Xiaomi 17 Ultra. At its heart is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, the main sensor is 1 inch in size, the periscope telephoto lens offers 200 Mpx resolution, and the ultrawide-angle lens covers a focal length of 14 mm. Xiaomi also offers accessories for the phone in the form of a photography kit with a 67mm filter adapter, a detachable shutter button, and a grip with a built-in 2,000 mAh battery.

How much will it cost?

In China, the Leica Edition is sold in two configurations. The base model with 16 GB RAM and 512GB storage costs approximately 26,000 Kč (Czech Koruna) converted, while the 1 TB variant is around 29,200 Kč. The global price is not yet known, but it is expected to be significantly higher – as is the case with all flagships when converted to European prices.

The official unveiling is expected to take place on February 28 at Xiaomi’s global event, where the standard Xiaomi 17 Ultra and the smaller Xiaomi 17 are also anticipated to be introduced. If the leaks from Thailand are confirmed, the Leica Leitzphone could be available very soon after the presentation.

Are you interested in the Leica Leitzphone, or is the regular Xiaomi 17 Ultra sufficient for you?

Source: Notebookcheck