I just tried the new Leitzphone with a powerful Leica lens, and this might be the phone to finally take me away from Google Pixel

(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)

The Leitzphone is a well-endowed smartphone when it comes to its imaging specs, and as a photographer, its cameras are what had me most excited when I first heart of it — and they don’t disappoint. The Leitzphone is fitted with four cameras: three on the back and a selfie camera on the front. Its main camera captures 50MP images at an f/1.67 aperture, and it has a 23mm full frame equivalent focal length. You also get an ultra-wide 50MP f/2.2 lens with a 115° FOV and a 14mm full frame equivalent focal length.

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(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)

The photos in the gallery above were taken with the 50MP main camera, and I love how the colors have turned out. The oranges are bright while the greens are vivid, and the Leitzphone has captured plenty of detail in the photos of the birds and the squirrel. You can get really close to your subjects without moving an inch, thanks to the 120x zoom. Though you lose some sharpness and the image quality drops in terms of detail, such as in the last shot of the squirrel, the image has still turned out lovely.

And you see the photos of the European robin? I captured these when the robin was right overhead, perched on a tree branch that must have been thrice my height (so approximately 16.5 feet), and yet, the Leitzphone has done an excellent job of capturing it. The Leitzphone’s triple-camera system features autofocus, and I found it quick to lock onto the animals. You also get optical image stabilization (OIS), which means that the smartphone eliminates camera shake and captures in-focus shots — handy for when you’re shooting zoomed in or at slow shutter speeds.

But the main event is the 200MP 75-100mm telephoto lens with a variable f/2.39-2.96 aperture, and an optical zoom resulting in up to 400mm (17.2x) optical-level zoom. Images taken with an optical zoom are more highly detailed than ones taken with a digital zoom as the camera has to digitally crop the image rather than optically magnifying it. The Leitzphone’s 200MP camera stitches nine images together to create one image, and the results are incredible.

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(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)

(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)

Every time I test a Leica camera, I’m blown away by the build quality and design. The German giant’s cameras are sleek and extremely good-looking — they look as expensive as they cost. The same applies to the Leica Leitzphone.

This is a beautiful phone, sporting a black fibreglass rear panel with a knurled metal frame. The ridges along the edges of the phone make it more tactile to hold and use, and I never once felt like it was slipping out of my hands — as I often feel that way when using my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL without its case on.

(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)

Located in the top left corner around the back is Leica’s classic red dot which adds to the Leitzphone’s premium look and feel. You know you’re holding and using a high-quality smartphone. I’ve found the Leitzphone an utter delight to use and carry around. The smartphone is compact and lightweight too, measuring 6.41 x 3.05 x 0.32 inches and weighing 7.88oz. If you’re worried about the smartphone getting scratched, Leica includes a phone case as well as a lens cap for its camera system and a wrist strap in the box.

The 6.9-inch Xiaomi HyperRGB OLED display is also bright and colorful. According to Leica and Xiaomi, the Leitzphone can reach a peak brightness of 3,500 nits, and features a 120Hz refresh rate. In my testing, I found the screen easy to read, even in direct sunlight, and the touchscreen was extremely responsive and quick to register my touches and taps. I also like that the Leitzphone is IP68 dust and water resistant, as this enabled me to use the smartphone even when it started raining (which happens very often in the U.K. where I’m based).

(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)

(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)

For the most part, I adore the Leica Leitzphone, but I have a bone to pick with the Control Ring located around the camera system on the back. The Control Ring enables you to zoom in and out, and it can quickly launch the camera too when your phone is locked. However, this free-moving wheel (which provides haptic feedback when turned) makes an annoying sound when you shake the smartphone ever so slightly. At first I thought something was wrong with it, but turns out that’s just how it behaves (if you don’t have the included lens cap on).

Another issue I have with the Control Ring is that it moves freely. There’s no resistance so even if you have its functions disabled via the settings menu, it still moves. I suppose it can act as a fidget toy, as I often found myself playing with it while sitting idly. But it still isn’t great news, and I wish it would stay locked in place when you weren’t using it.

(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)

The Leica Leitzphone is a mighty impressive phone, based on my week of use and first impressions. It’s a delight to use thanks to its OS that blends the best of Android and iOS operating systems. Its sleek and extremely good-looking. Its Leica-powered cameras feature a 75-100mm optical zoom, optical image stabilization, autofocus, and can capture hi-res 200MP images that are sharp and very detailed.

It’s also the cheapest way of buying a Leica, as most of Leica’s mirrorless cameras and rangefinders retail for five grand, if not more. The Leitzphone’s price feels just right, as the smartphone has a suggested retail price of $2,100 / £1,700. For the cameras, clean operating system, and the sleek design, it’s a price I’d be willing to pay.

The Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi is available to order from 28 February either directly from Leica or select retailers, and it comes with either 512GB or 1TB of internal storage.