Huawei partners with Leica for future camera tech
After carefully reporting on all the various device announcements and demos at MWC 2016, like the Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5 and Xiaomi Mi 5, to name a few, we can safely say that mobile photography is a big buzzword this year. All the major players seem to be working hard in this respect and with ambitions of sustaining its rapid growth, Chinese OEM Huawei really can't afford to lack behind.
In a newly announced move, Huawei and Leica have forged a long-term partnership to work on, as you would expect, advancements in photography. Now, considering the size and scope of operation of both parties, especially Huawei, the cooperation could potentially work both ways, and it probably will, with joint research as well as development, but judging from the statement of Leica CEO Oliver Kaltner, we are most likely to see improvements in mobile camera tech in the short term.
The strategic alliance between Huawei and Leica Camera demonstrates the desire of two rapidly growing and globally active brands to continuously push the envelope of the technologically possible. In addition to innovative strength and premium standards, our two companies are united by the commitment to uncompromising quality. The technology partnership with Huawei offers Leica Camera an excellent opportunity to introduce its proven optical expertise into a new product segment and to unlock exciting business areas in the field of mobile devices. Smartphones make a very important contribution to the world of photography and open an important door for Leica to new target groups and fields of application.
And as a quick sidenote. If you haven't heard of Leica Camera AG, you probably need no more than a few minutes of searching to understand the truly legendary status the German camera maker has in the field. That being said, the partnership holds great promise for the future.