SoftBank has actually revealed a Leica-branded phone for the Japanese market. Leica has actually lent its name to phone video camera systems in the past, however this Leitz Phone 1 is the first time the Leica brand name and renowned red dot has taken precedence on a mobile phone.
The video camera system is naturally going to be paramount for a gadget like this, and the hardware here is definitely unusual. Theres a single 20-megapixel 1-inch sensing unit– the most significant in any phone– with a 19mm-equivalent f/1.9 ultrawide lens, indicating other focal lengths require to utilize digital zoom.
If that sounds familiar, well, Sharp announced the specific very same thing a month earlier. The Aquos R6 has the exact same Leica-branded video camera system– though the Leitz Phone 1 makes it look a lot bigger– and other specifications like its 120Hz Pro IGZO OLED screen are also a match.

On the other hand, the Aquos R6 does not included a lens cap and matching case.
SoftBank is likewise selling the Aquos R6 along with the Leitz Phone 1, and isnt attempting to hide the resemblances behind the 2 phones. Rather, its placing the R6 as a design for someone who just wants the Leica video camera, and the Leitz Phone 1 for those who value Leicas hardware style. And besides, what could be more in keeping with Leica custom than tweaking existing products with a red dot?
Preorders for the Leitz Phone 1 start tomorrow in Japan. Itll cost 187,920 yen, or about $1,700.

Bundled accessories for the Leitz Phone 1.