Currently, we only have Huawei phones with Leica optics and the Huawei Leica partnership was first introduced with the Huawei P9. With the introduction of the Leica Optic, the main aim was to improve the bigger apertures and enhance the picture quality. Here in this list, we have picked up the best camera phones with Leica Optics.
Leica is a famous photography brand which is known for most iconic portraits and street photography images. By using the Leica Optics in smartphones, the idea is to bring that picture quality to the smartphones. Huawei smartphones with Leica Optics are among the best camera phones of all range. So without wasting much time lets move on to the list of best phones with Leica Optics.
Phones with Leica Optics
Most of the high-end phones from Huawei comes with Leica branded optical lens which is optimized for low-light conditions. The glass optics also reduces chromatic aberration when compared with its peers in the segment. These phones competed with the likes of Google Pixel 2 or HTC U11 which scores 90+ in DXO mark. So, here it goes.
1. Huawei P9
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Since its launch, the highlight of the phone is dual 12 MP camera with Leica Optics on the rear side. The front section gets an 8 MP selfies shooter camera. It has a 5.2 inches full HD IPS-NEO LCD protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Out of the box, it runs on Android Marshmallow v6.0 and is upgradable to Android 7.0 Nougat. Huawei P9 is powered by home brand processor HiSilicon Kirin 955 octa-core processor with Mali-T880 MP4 GPU.
It comes in two variants one with 3 GB of RAM and another one with 4 GB RAM having 32 GB and 64 GB of storage respectively. It has a fingerprint scanner on the rear side and USB Type-C port for charging. A 3000 mAh gives average backup. Overall, the phone has a powerful camera, decent hardware and looks stylish.
| Display | 5.2 inches IPS-NEO LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution 16:9 aspect ratio 423 PPI density |
| CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 955 Octa-core (4×2.5 GHz Cortex-A72 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| GPU | Mali-T880 MP4 |
| RAM | 3/4 GB |
| Inbuilt Storage | 32/64 GB |
| Rear Camera | Dual: 12 MP (f/2.2, 27mm, 1/2.9″, 1.25µm), Leica Optics |
| Front Camera | 8 MP, f/2.4, 1080p |
| Operating System | Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), upgradable to 7.0 (Nougat) |
| Weight | 144 grams |
| Dimension | 145 x 70.9 x 7 mm |
| Battery | 3000 mAh |
2. Huawei P9 Plus
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Huawei P9 Plus has a 5.5 Super AMOLED full HD display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. P9 Plus packs Kirin 955 processor coupled with Mali-T880 MP4 GPU. It has 4 GB RAM and 64 GB inbuilt storage capacity which is further expandable up to 256 GB using SIM 2 slot.
It gets a dual 12 MP camera with Leica optics on the rear side for improved aperture and better pictures in low light. The front receives an 8 Mp auto-focus camera. It packs 3400 mAh battery which supports fast charging using USB Type-C port.
| Display | 5.5 inches Super AMOLED 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution 16:9 aspect ratio 401 PPI density |
| CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 955 Octa-core (4×2.5 GHz Cortex-A72 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| GPU | Mali-T880 MP4 |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Inbuilt Storage | 64 GB, expandable up to 256 GB |
| Rear Camera | Dual: 12 MP (f/2.2, 27mm, 1/2.9″, 1.25µm) |
| Front Camera | 8 MP, f/1.9 |
| Operating System | Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), upgradable to 7.0 (Nougat) |
| Weight | 162 g |
| Dimension | 152.3 x 75.3 x 7 mm |
| Battery | Li-Po 3400 mAh |
3. Huawei P10
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Huawei P10 is slim, compact and powerful phone with a front mounted fingerprint scanner and dual rear camera with Leica Optics. It features a 5.1 inches IPS-NEO LCD with 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution at 432 PPI density. To prevent the screen from scratches, it gets Corning Gorilla Glass 5 layer over the display. Huawei P10 runs on Android Nougat 7.0 and upgradable to Android 8.0 Oreo.
This phone is powered by HiSilicon Kirin 960 2.4 GHz octa-core processor with Mali-G71 MP8 GPU. This phone gets 4 GB RAM and available in two storage variants 32/64 GB. It has a high-quality dual rear camera with 12 MP + 20 MP sensors with Leica Optic lens. For selfies and video calling, there is an 8 MP camera. Sadly, this phone still hasn’t upgraded to Bluetooth 5.0 and gets Bluetooth 4.2 which is just ok. A 3200 mAh battery would not disappoint you.
| Display | 5.1 inches IPS-NEO LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution 16:9 aspect ratio 432 PPI density |
| CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 960 Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| GPU | Mali-G71 MP8 |
| RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| Inbuilt Storage | 32/64 GB, expandable up to 256 GB (Uses SIM 2 slot) |
| Rear Camera | Dual: 12 MP (f/2.2, 28mm, OIS) + 20 MP (f/1.8), Leica optics |
| Front Camera | 8 MP, f/1.9 |
| Operating System | Android 7.0 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo) |
| Weight | 145 g |
| Dimension | 145.3 x 69.3 x 7 mm |
| Battery | Li-Ion 3200 mAh |
4. Huawei P10 Plus
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Huawei P10 Plus has a 5.5 inches IPS-NEO LCD with 1440 x 2560 pixels resolution at 540 PPI density. Its display is one of the best displays among the premium phones. This phone comes preloaded with Android 7.0 Nougat and upgradable to Android 8.0 oreo. Huawei’s flagship processor of 2017, HiSilicon Kirin 960 is used in P10 Plus. It comes in two variants, 4 GB RAM with 64 GB internal storage capacity and 6 GB RAM carries 128 GB inbuilt storage capacity.
Storage capacity on both the models is further expandable up to 256 GB using the SIM 2 slot. It gets a dual 12 MP + 20 MP camera on the rear side with Leica Optics, and dual tone LED flash. On the front side, there is an 8 MP camera. It also gets a fingerprint scanner on the front side and draws power from a 3750 mAh battery. This phone is available in various color options and it sleek and slim profile adds on to its beauty.
| Display | 5.5 inches IPS-NEO LCD 1440 x 2560 pixels resolution 16:9 aspect ratio 540 PPI density |
| CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 960 Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| GPU | Mali-G71 MP8 |
| RAM | 4/6 GB |
| Inbuilt Storage | 64/128 GB |
| Rear Camera | Dual: 12 MP (f/1.8, 28mm, OIS) + 20 MP (f/1.8), Leica optics |
| Front Camera | 8 MP, f/1.9 |
| Operating System | Android 7.0 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo) |
| Weight | 165 g |
| Dimension | 153.5 x 74.2 x 7 mm |
| Battery | Li-Ion 3750 mAh |
5. Huawei Mate 9
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If your requirement is a bigger display, Huawei Mate 9 might be of your interest. Huawei Mate 9 comes with a 5.9 inches IPS LCD having a screen to body ratio of 77.5%. It runs on Android 7.0 Nougat and is upgradable to Android 8.0 Oreo. It is also powered by HiSilicon Kirin 960 with Mali-G71 MP8 GPU.
It has only one variant with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB inbuilt storage capacity, further expandable up to 256 GB. It also has the same camera like the Huawei P10 with dual 12 MP + 20 MP sensors on the rear side with Leica Optics and 8 MP front-facing camera. It is powered by 4000 mAh battery and with fast charging support your phone is always ready with you.
| Display | 5.9 inches IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution 16:9 aspect ratio 373 PPI density |
| CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 960 |
| GPU | Mali-G71 MP8 |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Inbuilt Storage | 64 GB |
| Rear Camera | Dual: 12 MP (f/2.2, 27mm, 1/2.9″, 1.25µm) + 20 MP (f/2.2, 27mm), Leica Optics |
| Front Camera | 8 MP (f/1.9, 26mm, 1/3.2″, 1.4µm), |
| Operating System | Android 7.0 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo) |
| Weight | 190 g |
| Dimension | 156.9 x 78.9 x 7.9 mm |
| Battery | Li-Po 4000 mAh |
6. Huawei Mate 9 Pro
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Huawei Mate 9 Pro is big of Mate 9 but features a smaller display comparatively. It gets a 5.5 inches full HD AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Out of the box, this machine runs on Android 7.0 Nougat operating system, and Android 8.0 oreo updates have started rolling out. Like most of the high-end phones of Huawei of 2017, Huawei Mate 9 Pro is also equipped with HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor with Mali-G71 MP8 GPU.
This phone is launched in two variants, the base model gets 4 GB RAM, and 64 GB internal storage and top model gets 6 GB RAM and 128 GB inbuilt storage capacity. The camera is same as the previous Huawei phone, having dual 12 MP + 20 MP camera on the rear side with Leica Optics and an 8 MP camera on the display side capable of recording 1080p videos. This one gets a 4000 mAh battery which gives outstanding backup but also adds weight to the phone, that makes it to 169 grams.
| Display | 5.5 inches Super AMOLED 1440 x 2560 pixels 16:9 aspect ratio 534 PPI density |
| CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 960 |
| GPU | Mali-G71 MP8 |
| RAM | 4/6 GB |
| Inbuilt Storage | 64/128 GB |
| Rear Camera | Dual: 12 MP (f/2.2, 27mm, 1/2.9″, 1.25µm) + 20 MP (f/2.2, 27mm |
| Front Camera | 8 MP (f/1.9, 26mm, 1/3.2″, 1.4µm) |
| Operating System | Android 7.0 (Nougat), planned upgrade to Android 8.0 (Oreo) |
| Weight | 169 grams |
| Dimension | 152 x 75 x 7.5 mm |
| Battery | Li-Po 4000 mAh |
7. Huawei Mate 10
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Huawei Mate 10 successor of Mate 9 have not got many changes in the hardware. You can call it an upgraded phone, not a completely new phone. Talking about the specifications, Huawei Mate 10 gets a 5.9 inches full HD IPS LCD which is kind of same like we have seen on the Mate 9. But this the bezels are narrower with an increase in the screen to body ratio to 81.6%. This phone runs on Android 8.0 Oreo, and the display is HDR10 compliant.
It is powered by Huawei’s flagship processor HiSilicon Kirin 970 octa-core 2.4 GHz processor with Mali-G72 MP12 GPU. This is so far the best SoC till date coming out from Huawei brand. This phone gets 4 GB RAM and 64 GB inbuilt storage capacity, further expandable up to 256 GB. This phones also get the same camera as we have seen on the Mate 9, a dual 12 MP + 20 MP camera with Leica Optics and 2x optical zoom and an 8 MP front-facing the camera for selfies. There is a fingerprint scanner on the front side, A USB 3.1 Type-C port for charging and a 4000 mAh Li-Po battery. You have to compromise with Bluetooth 4.2 in Mate 10.
| Display | 5.9 inches IPS LCD 81.6% screen to body ratio 1440 x 2560 pixels resolution 16:9 aspect ratio 499 PPI density |
| CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 970 Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| GPU | Mali-G72 MP12 |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Inbuilt Storage | 64 GB |
| Rear Camera | Dual: 12 MP (f/1.6, 27mm, 1/2.9″, 1.25µm) + 20 MP (f/1.6, 27mm), Leica Optics |
| Front Camera | 8 MP (f/2.0, 26mm, 1/3.2″, 1.4µm) |
| Operating System | Android 8.0 (Oreo) |
| Weight | 186 g |
| Dimension | 150.5 x 77.8 x 8.2 mm |
| Battery | Li-Po 4000 mAh |
8. Huawei Mate 10 Pro
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Huawei Mate 10 Pro looks completely different than the Mate 9 Pro and Mate 10. It features a 6 inches AMOLED display with 18:9 aspect ratio and 80.9% screen to body ratio. The screen is also HDR 10 complaint to give you the experience of a premium TV right at your smartphone. This phone is IP67 certified means it is dust and waterproof up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. It runs on Android 8.0 Oreo and packs Kirin 970 powerful processor.
Huawei Mate 10 Pro comes in two variants, 4 GB model and 6 GB model with 64 GB and 128 GB storage capacity respectively. This one also shares the same camera as the rest of the three above. It seems like Huawei and customers are quite happy with the camera. It has a USB 3.1 Type-C port for charging and data transfer. In the package, you will also get a Type-C to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter. This time the fingerprint scanner is on the back side and a 4000 mAh battery give the backup you need for the whole day. But this one also misses the Bluetooth 5.0 which you can call cons of this smartphone.
| Display | 6.0 inches AMOLED 80.9% screen-to-body ratio 1080 x 2160 pixels resolution 18:9 aspect ratio 402 PPI density |
| CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 970 |
| GPU | Mali-G72 MP12 |
| RAM | 4/6 GB |
| Inbuilt Storage | 64/128 GB |
| Rear Camera | Dual: 12 MP (f/1.6, 27mm, 1/2.9″, 1.25µm) + 20 MP (f/1.6, 27mm), Leica Optics |
| Front Camera | 8 MP (f/2.0, 26mm, 1/3.2″, 1.4µm) |
| Operating System | Android 8.0 (Oreo) |
| Weight | 178 g |
| Dimension | 154.2 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm |
| Battery | Li-Po 4000 mAh |
9. Huawei P20
The latest power-packed smartphone coming out of the Huawei brand is P20. Three models are coming, the P20 Lite, the P20, and the P20 Pro. As only P20 and P20 Pro get Leica Optics in the camera, so we will talk only about them. The P20 which is an above mid-range smartphone has a 5.8 inches full HD notched display just like the iPhone X. The notch on this phone is smaller as compared to the iPhone X. It comes with Android 8.1 Oreo. It is also powered by Kirin 970 octa-core 2.4 GHz processor coupled with 4 GB RAM.
This phone gets 128 GB storage capacity but not further expandable as there is no card slot for that. This time Huawei has done some changes to the camera, P20 rear side gets a dual 12 MP + 20 MP, and front side gets a 24 MP selfie centric camera. It packs 3400 mAh battery and supports fast charging via the USB 3.1 Type-C port.
| Display | 5.8 inches LTPS IPS LCD 80.4% screen to body ratio 1080 x 2240 pixels resolution 18.7:9 aspect ratio 429 PPI density) |
| CPU | Hisilicon Kirin 970 |
| GPU | Mali-G72 MP12 |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Inbuilt Storage | 128 GB, no card slot |
| Rear Camera | Dual: 12 MP (f/1.8, 1/2.3″, 1.55µm, OIS) + 20 MP (f/1.6, 27mm), Leica optics |
| Front Camera | 24 MP, f/2.0 |
| Operating System | Android 8.1 (Oreo) |
| Weight | 165 grams |
| Dimension | 149.1 x 70.8 x 7.7 mm |
| Battery | Li-Po 3400 mAh |
10. Huawei P20 Pro
The best phone coming out of the Huawei so far is the Huawei P20 Pro. It has a large 6.1 inches AMOLED display with a notch on the top just on the top of the screen for camera and sensors. Out of the box, it ran on Android 8.1 Oreo and equipped with HiSilicon Kirin 970 processor. This beautiful machine has 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal memory which you can’t expand any further.
The main USP of this phone is going to be its camera. It the first smartphone to features a triple camera on the rear side which gives it 3x optical zoom. The Triple camera has a 40 MP + 20 MP + 8 MP sensors with Leica optics, while the front gets a 24 MP camera. This phone is IP67 certified, and it is dustproof and waterproof up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. It gets a 4000 mAh Li-Po battery and USB 3.1 Type-C port which will soon replace the micro USB port in smartphones and even in laptops.
| Display | 6.1 inches AMOLED 82.0% screen-to-body ratio 1080 x 2240 pixels resolution 18.7:9 aspect ratio 408 PPI density |
| CPU | Hisilicon Kirin 970 Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| GPU | Mali-G72 MP12 |
| RAM | 6 GB |
| Inbuilt Storage | 128 GB |
| Rear Camera | Triple: 40 MP (f/1.8, 27mm, 1/1.7″) + 20 MP B/W (f/1.6, 27mm) + 8 MP (f/2.4, 80mm), OIS, Leica optics, 3x optical zoom |
| Front Camera | 24 MP, f/2.0 |
| Operating System | Android 8.1 (Oreo) |
| Weight | 180 grams |
| Dimension | 155 x 73.9 x 7.8 mm |
| Battery | Li-Po 4000 mAh |
Conclusion
If you are in the market looking for quality phones with Leica Optics and like the Huawei brand, the choice is a no-brainer. If you are just like me who likes photography a lot, choose anyone from this list and you won’t be disappointed.
Do let us know your thoughts and suggestions by dropping us a comment below in the comments section. Thanks for visiting!
