Xiaomi To Drop Leica Branding On Flagship Smartphones? Here's What We Know

Xiaomi’s long-standing partnership with Leica have been nothing short of a pioneering success for its flagship smartphones. Many reports indicated that the Chinese tech giant is considering to drop the co-branding logo from its upcoming flagship devices running the SM8850 sub-series chipsets. The phones are expected to pack Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset.

Xiaomi to Continue with Leica Branding

As per the reports, the move could impact a range of upcoming devices from the Chinese brand, including the Xiaomi 16, 16 Pro, 16 Ultra, and 16 Ultra Max. However, a Xiaomi spokesperson has quashed the reports, stating that they would continue to collaborate with German optics giant, Leica, for flagship Xiaomi devices. These phones will retain the Leica DCS (Dual Camera System) branding.

“Together, Xiaomi and Leica have collaborated closely to integrate advanced optics and imaging technologies into Xiaomi devices, delivering industry-leading mobile photography experiences to users around the world. This partnership continues to thrive, grounded in a shared vision of pushing the boundaries of mobile imaging. Recent rumours suggesting the end of our collaboration are entirely unfounded. Both companies remain committed to deepening this strategic partnership and bringing even more innovative imaging solutions to Xiaomi smartphones,” the spokesperson said.

Many reports, citing Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station, explained that co-branding with Leica added roughly $3–$5 per unit in licensing fees, plus extra costs for brand authorisation. Dropping the branding would have aligned with a wider industry trend. Huawei previously dropped its Leica partnership and developed its own XMAGE imaging system. On the other hand, brands like Vivo, Oppo, and Honor still collaborate with ZEISS, Hasselblad, and Harcourt, respectively.

Based on the assurance by Xiaomi, we can expect the upcoming Xiaomi 16 series to deliver unparalleled photography capabilities like its predecessors with Leica’s imaging technology.