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xiaomi leica 100th anniversary limited edition: Exclusive Model Unveiled, Not for Sale in India
Beijing - July 18, 2025 By Michael B. Norris
I still remember the way my fingers trembled the first time I handled a Leica M6.
It was my early twenties, a secondhand camera shop in Berlin, and I had no real business spending €1,500 on an old rangefinder.
Ultra-Wide Camera 50MP, f/2.2
Telephoto Camera 50MP, f/1.8, 1/2.51” sensor, macro mode
Periscope Telephoto 200MP, f/2.6, 1/1.4” sensor, 4.3x optical zoom
Display 6.73” AMOLED, 1440 x 3200, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Charging 90W USB-C wired (charger included)
Storage/Memory 16GB RAM + 512GB storage
Special Inclusions Leica 100 photo book, gift box, Leica badge
Availability Not for sale - Gifted to Leica CEO
If this feels like a phone that would retail for $2,000 or more, you're not wrong. But here's the twist: you can’t buy it.
This edition of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra was developed solely as a commemorative gift for Leica CEO Matthias Harsch. It was never intended for public sale.
It will never be mass-produced. It will never appear on Amazon.
But the moment I lifted it, the brass top plate already showing signs of patina from years of use, I knew I wasn’t just holding a camera - I was touching a piece of history.
There was something oddly reassuring about the wear, the gentle brassing around the shutter dial. It had character. It had stories.
So when I heard that Xiaomi and Leica were releasing a limited edition Xiaomi 15 Ultra to celebrate 100 years since the original Leica I - and that it would deliberately develop patina over time - I was instantly intrigued.
So when I heard that Xiaomi and Leica were releasing a limited edition Xiaomi 15 Ultra to celebrate 100 years since the original Leica I - and that it would deliberately develop patina over time - I was instantly intrigued.
Could a modern smartphone recreate not just Leica’s optics but its soul?
After spending a few days examining the special edition (I wasn’t allowed to keep it, unfortunately), I can confidently say: they’ve come closer than anyone else ever has.
To mark the centennial of the Leica I, the world’s first compact 35mm camera, Xiaomi and Leica have created a version of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra that’s as much a design homage as it is a technical powerhouse.
The limited edition comes wrapped in silver-coated vegan leather with subtle gold accents outlining the frame and quad-camera island.
After spending a few days examining the special edition (I wasn’t allowed to keep it, unfortunately), I can confidently say: they’ve come closer than anyone else ever has.
A Phone That Honors a Century of Legacy
To mark the centennial of the Leica I, the world’s first compact 35mm camera, Xiaomi and Leica have created a version of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra that’s as much a design homage as it is a technical powerhouse.
The limited edition comes wrapped in silver-coated vegan leather with subtle gold accents outlining the frame and quad-camera island.
The inscription “100 Years of Leica 1925–2025” is laser-etched into the golden band, right above the Xiaomi and official Leica 100 logo, which was designed specifically for this anniversary.
But the real magic is in the frame’s paint, which - much like classic Leica cameras - will gradually wear off, exposing the underlying metal.
But the real magic is in the frame’s paint, which - much like classic Leica cameras - will gradually wear off, exposing the underlying metal.
Leica fans call this brassing when it happens to old cameras.
Here, Xiaomi calls it intentional. It’s a nod to a bygone era when photographic tools weren’t just owned - they were used.
Feature Specification
Key Specs: Xiaomi 15 Ultra “100 Years of Leica” Limited Edition
Feature Specification
Main Camera 50MP, f/1.6, 1-inch sensor, OIS
Ultra-Wide Camera 50MP, f/2.2
Telephoto Camera 50MP, f/1.8, 1/2.51” sensor, macro mode
Periscope Telephoto 200MP, f/2.6, 1/1.4” sensor, 4.3x optical zoom
Display 6.73” AMOLED, 1440 x 3200, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Charging 90W USB-C wired (charger included)
Storage/Memory 16GB RAM + 512GB storage
Special Inclusions Leica 100 photo book, gift box, Leica badge
Availability Not for sale - Gifted to Leica CEO
Designed, Not Sold
If this feels like a phone that would retail for $2,000 or more, you're not wrong. But here's the twist: you can’t buy it.
This edition of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra was developed solely as a commemorative gift for Leica CEO Matthias Harsch. It was never intended for public sale.
In an internal event at Wetzlar, Harsch reportedly received the handset as a symbol of Leica’s century -long journey - from the Leica I’s Elmar 50mm f/3.5 lens in 1925 to computational photography in 2025.
“Leica has always stood for more than function - it’s about feel, heritage, and the unseen bond between photographer and tool,”
- Matthias Harsch, Leica CEO
A Xiaomi spokesperson added that the phone “wasn’t built to drive sales,” but to “honor an extraordinary creative legacy that has shaped how humans document the world.”
To be clear, this isn’t just a rebranded Xiaomi phone with some Leica filters slapped on. The partnership between the two companies runs deep.
In the Xiaomi 15 Ultra - and especially in this limited edition - Leica engineers co-developed lens modules, color science, and image processing algorithms.
“Leica has always stood for more than function - it’s about feel, heritage, and the unseen bond between photographer and tool,”
- Matthias Harsch, Leica CEO
A Xiaomi spokesperson added that the phone “wasn’t built to drive sales,” but to “honor an extraordinary creative legacy that has shaped how humans document the world.”
A Collaboration Beyond Software Filters
To be clear, this isn’t just a rebranded Xiaomi phone with some Leica filters slapped on. The partnership between the two companies runs deep.
In the Xiaomi 15 Ultra - and especially in this limited edition - Leica engineers co-developed lens modules, color science, and image processing algorithms.
The result is a quad-camera system that performs more like a compact mirrorless than a smartphone.
The main 1-inch sensor is a standout, capturing rich shadow detail even in harsh backlight.
The main 1-inch sensor is a standout, capturing rich shadow detail even in harsh backlight.
But it’s the 200MP periscope lens that might be the real star.
In testing, I was able to capture detail in distant textures - cracked stone, neon signs - with sharpness that felt unreal for a phone.
And yes, the Leica filters - Leica Vibrant and Leica Authentic - are still here, as expected.
And yes, the Leica filters - Leica Vibrant and Leica Authentic - are still here, as expected.
But now they feel even more contextually justified.
When Leica released the Leica I in 1925, it fundamentally changed photography.
The Leica 1: A Century of Disruption
When Leica released the Leica I in 1925, it fundamentally changed photography.
Until then, cameras were mostly bulky, tripod-bound affairs.
But with a compact form factor and a collapsible lens, the Leica I made it possible to shoot candidly, quickly, and in motion.
Photojournalists like Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson adopted Leica rangefinders during World War II and the Vietnam War. Their work didn’t just report news - it made history.
So it's not hyperbole to say that the 100 Years of Leica edition is more than a tech celebration. It's a cultural one.
Photojournalists like Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson adopted Leica rangefinders during World War II and the Vietnam War. Their work didn’t just report news - it made history.
So it's not hyperbole to say that the 100 Years of Leica edition is more than a tech celebration. It's a cultural one.
A nod to photojournalists who hid rangefinders under coats and captured moments that shaped public consciousness.
In this smartphone, the visual language of classic Leica cameras - patina, silver-on-black, minimal branding - has been subtly translated to a digital era.
In terms of hardware, this limited edition is identical to the global Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
In this smartphone, the visual language of classic Leica cameras - patina, silver-on-black, minimal branding - has been subtly translated to a digital era.
Comparison: Limited Edition vs. Regular Xiaomi 15 Ultra
In terms of hardware, this limited edition is identical to the global Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
The same powerful sensor array. The same 90W charging. The same flagship-grade OLED display.
What sets it apart is aesthetic philosophy. The standard model is about specs and performance. This one is about symbolism and heritage.
What sets it apart is aesthetic philosophy. The standard model is about specs and performance. This one is about symbolism and heritage.
The patina-capable silver frame, Leica 100 markings, and exclusive Humanistic Photography Series photo book elevate it into the realm of collectible art.
Would I trade my standard Xiaomi 15 Ultra for this model? In a heartbeat.
Would I trade my standard Xiaomi 15 Ultra for this model? In a heartbeat.
But I can’t - and that’s the point.
It’s rare that a phone makes me feel something beyond curiosity or admiration. But this one did.
Maybe it's the Leica nostalgia. Or maybe it's the quiet message it sends: some things aren't meant to be commodified.
There’s a strange satisfaction in knowing this edition won’t be on store shelves. It won’t be discounted next year. It won’t be reviewed by influencers.
A Personal Letdown - and a Statement
It’s rare that a phone makes me feel something beyond curiosity or admiration. But this one did.
Maybe it's the Leica nostalgia. Or maybe it's the quiet message it sends: some things aren't meant to be commodified.
There’s a strange satisfaction in knowing this edition won’t be on store shelves. It won’t be discounted next year. It won’t be reviewed by influencers.
It’s a one-time, private homage - and in that restraint, it channels Leica’s soul better than a thousand ad campaigns ever could.
“It’s a shame this model isn’t available to the public - the homage is beautiful but untouchable.”
Final Thoughts
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra “100 Years of Leica” Limited Edition isn’t just a special edition.
“It’s a shame this model isn’t available to the public - the homage is beautiful but untouchable.”
Final Thoughts
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra “100 Years of Leica” Limited Edition isn’t just a special edition.
It’s a philosophical bridge between analog tradition and digital precision. A phone that wears history in its design - quite literally - as the paint fades and the underlying metal emerges.
It will never be mass-produced. It will never appear on Amazon.
But it will be remembered perhaps more than most tech products that are.
In an age of yearly upgrades and plastic sameness, Xiaomi and Leica have done something rare:
They’ve created a smartphone worth aging.
In an age of yearly upgrades and plastic sameness, Xiaomi and Leica have done something rare:
They’ve created a smartphone worth aging.
About the Author
Michael B. Norris is a journalist specializing in mobile technology and photography gear.With over a decade of experience covering flagship camera phones, mirrorless systems, and photojournalism tech, he brings both a personal passion and professional rigor to his reporting
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