Xiaomi and Leica are collaborating more closely for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra (Image source: Ace100xd)
Camera watermarks are a practical feature. In addition to shooting parameters, manufacturers can use them to advertise their camera or smartphone, especially since photos are often shared on social media. A leak now illustrates how Xiaomi and Leica plan to design these watermarks on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which also points to a deeper collaboration.
If the hints from China are accurate, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra will launch in just a few hours. That would be unusual for a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, as they typically start promoting a new flagship phone via teasers days before the official unveiling. However, not just a possible rushed launch of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra appear to be newsworthy, since the marketing plans may also be changing. Supposedly, Xiaomi wants to put a bigger emphasis on its close collaboration with Leica.
This assumption is based on leaked watermarks, which are commonly used in China to show which camera a photo was taken with. They often also show parameters such as aperture, ISO and shutter speed, as well as the date the photo was taken. These watermarks can be optionally enabled for each photo and have been discovered by XiaomiTime in the HyperOS code, as seen in the screenshots below. What’s particularly interesting is that the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Special Edition might have different names depending on the region.
While the “Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica” is apparently being promoted in China, the top-end smartphone is expected to be marketed globally alongside the Xiaomi 17 Ultra as the so-called “Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi”, which is a name that has already appeared in the IMEI database. At least that’s XiaomiTime’s theory based on the model numbers. Whether this will actually turn out to be true remains to be seen. The latest code leaks also point to a new 1-inch sensor from Omnivision, and leakers as well as the Xiaomi president have also shared small bits of information about new camera features.
As a young tech enthusiast with a history involving assembling and overclocking projects, I ended up working as a projectionist with good old 35-mm films before I entered the computer world at a professional level. I assisted customers at an Austrian IT service provider called Iphos IT Solutions for seven years, working as a Windows client and server administrator as well as a project manager. As a freelancer who travels a lot, I have been able to write for Notebookcheck from all corners of the world since 2016. My articles cover brand-new mobile technologies in smartphones, laptops, and gadgets of all kinds.
Translator: Enrico Frahn – Managing Editor Accessory Reviews, Tech Writer – 5888 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2021
My fascination for technology goes back a long way to the Pentium II era. Modding, overclocking and treasuring computer hardware has since become an integral part of my life. As a student, I further developed a keen interest in mobile technologies that can make the stressful college life so much easier. After I fell in love with the creation of digital content while working in a marketing position, I now scour the web to bring you the most exciting topics in the world of tech. Outside the office, I’m particularly passionate about motorsports and mountain biking.