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Ever since the Leica Leitzphone was announced at the tail-end of February 2026, I haven't stopped thinking about it or using it — as I'm currently in the process of testing it for my full review. It's sleek, it's powerful, and its cameras are nothing short of extraordinary. And as a photographer, its cameras are what get me most excited. After I compared the Leitzphone and the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL in a 10-round photo shootout, I couldn't help but wonder how Leica's first-ever smartphone would fair against an iPhone — and that's why we're here.
The Leitzphone borrows imaging tech that you'll also find in Leica's best mirrorless cameras, which in itself makes this comparison feels like an apples and oranges situation, but I wouldn't underestimate the iPhone 17 Pro and its 48MP camera array either... but of course, one of the biggest differences between the two smartphones is the price. The base Leitzphone costs $2,100 / £1,700 while the base iPhone 17 Pro retails for $1,099 / £1,099.
All photos in this face-off were shot in the standard color profile on both phones. None of the photos have been edited in post-production. All photos were shot in the JPEG format, and not RAW. Even though the Leitzphone can shoot 200MP images, I have compared its 50MP cameras to the iPhone 17 Pro's 48MP cameras to keep it fair.
I review the best cameras and best drones here at Tom's Guide. I've adored photography for as long as I can remember, and when I'm not working, I love taking my Fujifilm X-T50 on a walk and capturing the sights. My favorite subjects to photograph are animals, birds, and my partner. You can follow my work on Instagram.
Leica Leitzphone vs iPhone 17 Pro: the cameras
Both the Leica Leitzphone and the iPhone 17 Pro feature great cameras in their own right, and before I compare the image quality, let me give you a quick rundown of their specs, starting off with the Leitzphone. It features four cameras: three on the back and one selfie camera on the front. The triple-camera system around the back comprises of a 50MP f/1.67 main camera with a 23mm full frame equivalent focal length; a 50MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera with a 14mm full frame equivalent focal length; and a 200MP 75-100mm f/2.39-2.96 telephoto camera with an optical zoom resulting in up to 400mm (17.2x) optical-level zoom.
All three cameras feature optical image stabilization, which enables you to shoot handheld, even at the maximum focal length/zoom. In addition, the autofocus is quick to lock onto wildlife and humans. You also get access to Leica's 13 color profiles, including Chrome, Vivid and Monochrom High Contrast.
Next up is the iPhone 17 Pro, which has arguably the best camera on any iPhone we've seen up until now. Just like the Leitzphone, it features a four-camera setup: three around the back, and a selfie camera on the front. The camera setup comprises a 48MP f/1.78 main camera with a 24mm full frame equivalent focal length; a 48MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera with a 13mm full frame equivalent focal length; and a 48MP f/2.8 telephoto camera with a 4x optical zoom and an 8x "optical-quality" zoom.
Similar to the Leitzphone, the iPhone 17 Pro also features second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization for its main camera which can help you get better, more steady shots even when you're zoomed in. Both phones' cameras sound almost identical on paper, but the Leitzphone's 200MP camera is its secret weapon. The iPhone 17 Pro also has an 18MP selfie camera as opposed to the 50MP selfie camera on the Leitzphone.
Leica Leitzphone vs iPhone 17 Pro: Daytime
The photos of the magnolia tree above were taken on an overcast day around lunchtime, and both the Leica Leitzphone and the iPhone 17 Pro have done an admirable job. However, the Leitzphone has done better at distributing the light well across the entire frame, and the pink magnolias look more true-to-life and that's exactly how my eyes saw them too.
On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Pro photo appears a bit washed out and dull, and the building in the background looks darker as well, especially compared to the Leitzphone shot. The Leitzphone photo, in my opinion, pops more. The sharpness of both shots, however, is on par with one another, with the flowers having defined edges.
Winner: Leica Leitzphone
Leica Leitzphone vs iPhone 17 Pro: Dynamic range
Dynamic range performance on the iPhone 17 Pro is good but it's much better on the Leica Leitzphone. While light and exposure are evenly distributed through both shots in the gallery above, the details captured by the Leitzphone are far better. For instance, the carvings in the wall above the door appear much sharper and more defined in the Leitzphone shot, and there's more detail revealed in the shadows, such as the reflections on the window in the top left corner.
Highlights on the Leitzphone don't appear blown out either. The bulbs in the wall lamps and above the door don't have an unpleasant flare to them, as they do in the photo taken on the iPhone 17 Pro.
Winner: Leica Leitzphone
Leica Leitzphone vs iPhone 17 Pro: Colors
When it comes to capturing colors, there's a clear winner and that's the Leica Leitzphone — but this can be down to personal preference. For instance, I prefer more high-contrast images and that's my shooting style, which is why I like that the mural captured by the Leitzphone appears slightly darker. The shades of orange and red pop while the blues and greens appear more vivid than the shot taken on the iPhone 17 Pro.
The photo taken on the iPhone 17 Pro is still good, but like with the photo of the magnolias, the greens in the shrubs and in the mural appear slightly washed out which makes the image look flat. The Leitzphone image has a more spatial effect to it which adds context to the image and makes it pop more.
Winner: Leica Leitzphone
Leica Leitzphone vs iPhone 17 Pro: Macro
While the Leica Leitzphone blew the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL out of the water with its macro camera and ability to capture hi-res macro details, that isn't the case here. The iPhone 17 Pro is the winner. In the photo of the daffodil, the patterns on its petals are captured better and appear more defined as do the anthers. The little black bugs emerging from the flower are also more highly detailed, whereas in the photo taken on the Leitzphone, the bug looks like it's just a black dot.
Macro mode on most smartphone cameras can be hit-or-miss as you need to find the right distance between the phone and your subject to capture the finer details, so the results may vary depending on your use. But when it comes down to sheer detail, the iPhone 17 Pro is the clear winner.
Winner: iPhone 17 Pro
Leica Leitzphone vs iPhone 17 Pro: Digital zoom
Both the Leica Leitzphone and the iPhone 17 Pro feature powerful digital zooms. The iPhone 17 Pro packs a 40x digital zoom via its 48MP telephoto camera, and the Leitzphone goes a step further with its whopping 120x zoom. Both smartphone cameras can help you photograph hard-to-reach subjects, such as wildlife, but when it comes to capturing detail, the Leitzphone takes the crown.
The two photos of the swans in the gallery above were taken at approximately 8x digital zoom and while both are good and usable, the Leitzphone photo is better and sharper. The Leitzphone has excelled at ensuring the swans in the background are in focus too, while the same ones in the background of the iPhone 17 Pro appear slightly out of focus. I also think the ripples in the water appear better and more hi-res in the Leitzphone shot.
Winner: Leica Leitzphone
Leica Leitzphone vs iPhone 17 Pro: Optical zoom
It's a similar story with the Leica Leitzphone's and the iPhone 17 Pro's optical zooms. The latter features a 4x optical zoom while the former packs a 17.2x optical zoom. To keep it at a level playing field, I took the photo of the seagull with both cameras set to 4x optical zoom. Both images, again, are great, but the Leitzphone's is just a tad sharper.
For example, the seagull's beak in the iPhone shot has lost some sharpness and it appears blunt, and it doesn't have the same effect in the Leitzphone image. Similarly, the seagull's tail feathers appear sharper and more distinct from one another in the Leitzphone photo. This was a close competition though, but in the end, there can be only one winner, and it ain't the iPhone 17 Pro.
Winner: Leica Leitzphone
Leica Leitzphone vs iPhone 17 Pro: Selfie
When I showed the selfies taken on the Leica Leitzphone and the iPhone 17 Pro to my partner, she said she liked both but preferred the one taken on the Leitzphone as it looks more pleasing to the eye — and I'm inclined to agree. Though I'm not a chronic selfie taker, I'd pick the Leitzphone between the two smartphones. I prefer the darker background and the colors of my jacket appear more true-to-life too.
This isn't to say that the iPhone 17 Pro selfie is bad. On the contrary, it is also good, and you can see that more detail in the shadows has been revealed. You can see the pattern in my turtleneck and the velcro on my jacket better. This will come down to preference of colors and detail, so we'll call this a tie.
Winner: Tie
Leica Leitzphone vs iPhone 17 Pro: Portrait
Similar to the selfies comparison, the portrait shot you prefer comes down to personal preference too. Both the Leica Leitzphone and iPhone 17 Pro excel at portrait photography, capturing heaps of details and blurring the background well to make your subject pop. In the Leitzphone portrait of my colleague Harry, the details in his moustache and face have been captured in more detail on the iPhone 17 Pro.
However, the iPhone 17 Pro features better subject separation and background bokeh, and I think it does a better job at creating a 3D-esque effect. When I asked Harry which one he preferred, he said he's pick the first for detail but the second was more "flattering." This is a tie again, as it depends on what you want to capture most in a portrait.
Winner: Tie
Leica Leitzphone vs iPhone 17 Pro: Ultra-wide
The iPhone 17 Pro with its 120° field of view (FOV) is much better at capturing wide scenes compared to the Leica Leitzphone with its 115° FOV. I know the difference doesn't sound too big on paper, but I instantly clocked it when I took the photos of the river above. The iPhone 17 Pro has captured more of the shot with an additional building to the left and a bigger reflection of said building in the water.
While the Leitzphone has done a decent job, it hasn't captured as much of the scene, and I'd say the colors and details are brighter and sharper in the iPhone 17 Pro shot too. Both smartphones are good for landscape photography, but the iPhone 17 Pro is just a bit better.
Winner: iPhone 17 Pro
Leica Leitzphone vs iPhone 17 Pro: Low-light
While both the Leica Leitzphone and the iPhone 17 Pro perform formidably in low-light conditions, the Leitzphone upstages the iPhone 17 Pro in more ways than one. The iPhone 17 Pro has a tendency to make dark scenes appear too bright, which is fine and can be handy for some situations, but in doing so, it can make the image appear a bit too digitally edited.
For instance, in the iPhone shot of the graveyard, you can read the signs clearly but the sky didn't appear anywhere near as blue as the iPhone 17 Pro has made it out to be. Instead, it appeared more gray through my eyes, and the Leitzphone photo is more true-to-life in that regard. Similarly, the Leitzphone image has better, warmer color temperature to it, such as in the grass. I would say the Leitzphone image looks close to what it would look like if you took it on a DSLR.
Winner: Leica Leitzphone
Leica Leitzphone vs iPhone 17 Pro: Verdict
In this 10-round photo shootout, there's a clear winner. The Leica Leitzphone wins six rounds, the iPhone 17 Pro wins two, and two rounds are tied, which means that the Leitzphone wins.
Both the Leitzphone and the iPhone 17 Pro pack excellent cameras, and they're fantastic for on-the-fly photography and even photo editing. The iPhone 17 Pro has a leg-up over the Leitzphone when it comes to macro and ultra-wide photography, and it manages to go toe-to-toe with it for selfies and portraits too.
But for everything else, such as colors, daytime photography, dynamic range, and low-light performance, the Leitzphone is better. This isn't surprising as the Leitzphone was developed by a brand known for making some of the best cameras. But this doesn't take away from the fact that the iPhone 17 Pro is still a great smartphone camera in its own right — it's just hard to compete when you're up against a Leica.
For more comparisons, check out my Leica Leitzphone versus Google Pixel 10 Pro XL article, and my Leica Leitzphone versus Leica Q3 Monochrom face-off to find out how the smartphone fared against a mirrorless camera.
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More from Tom's Guide
- I took 200 photos on the Leica Leitzphone and the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL to see which is better — and it’s not even close
- Can a Leica lens on a phone beat a Leica camera? I compared the Leitzphone and the Q3 Monochrom to find out
- I just tried the new Leitzphone with a powerful Leica lens — and this might be the phone to finally take me away from Google Pixel
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