Xiaomi and Leica partner for a flagship device

Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone maker, has announced a partnership with German photography giant Leica, becoming the third smartphone company to do so after Huawei and Sharp.The company has also revealed that its first smartphone with Leica cameras will be released in July 2022, in addition to announcing the alliance. This could be the Xiaomi 12 Ultra, which has been reported for quite some time.

“This cooperation will provide a strong boost to Xiaomi's imaging strategy. During the cooperation, from optical design to tuning aesthetic orientations, the innovative technologies, product philosophies and imaging preferences of both parties have experienced unprecedented in-depth collision and fusion." Lei Jun, chief executive officer of Xiaomi Group said.

The agreement would encompass cooperation in optical design, aesthetic orientations, and imaging preferences, according to Xiaomi. Xiaomi isn't the only Chinese smartphone manufacturer to collaborate with camera manufacturers. OnePlus has a Hasselblad relationship, whereas Vivo has a ZEISS partnership. While Xiaomi's flagship devices are loaded with features, one of their biggest flaws has always been the cameras.

The Xiaomi 12 Ultra is set to be released in July. Although nothing is known about the smartphone, it is likely to be powered by Qualcomm's future Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ processor.