Last year, Leica, a company known for its cameras and lenses, debuted its first-ever smartphone with the Leitz Phone. While it had impressive specifications and an excellent camera, it turned out that it was just a rebranded handset previously released by Sharp. Now, it looks like the company is relying on the same formula for its release this year, with the debut of the Leitz Phone 2.
Although "rebranded" is such a harsh term when it comes to smartphones, the Leitz Phone 2 has a lot to offer. The handset has a large 6.6-inch OLED display and with a frame constructed from aluminum that features a ribbed edge that ensures you'll be able to keep it in your hands, even in the harshest conditions. In addition, it offers IP68 and IP5X certifications, meaning the handset will be protected from the elements.
On the rear, you get a bright red Leica logo that sits below the large 1-inch, 47.2-megapixel CMOS image sensor camera that dominates the top half of the phone. In addition, the phone is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, which is paired with 12GB RAM and offers 512GB of internal storage. If you require more storage, you can always use a microSD card, with support of up to 1TB.
Leica also adds its own twist to the software, tweaking the camera to simulate three of its iconic M lenses, the Summilux 28mm, Summilux 35mm, and the Noctilux 50mm. Furthermore, it also offers filters that bring more of the "Leica" look to pictures taken with the phone.
If this all looks good to you, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, as the Leitz Phone 2 will only be made available in Japan from wireless carrier Softbank. But if you're local, you can always pick one up on November 18, and for the rest of us, we will have to admire it from afar. If you want an idea of what it's like, you can always check out our review of the Sharp Aquos R7, which the Leitz Phone 2 is based on.