According to internal sources, the Huawei-Leica partnership is coming to an end, with the P50 series being the latest handsets from the company carrying the Leica branding. The information comes from a series of tweets posted by a fairly well-known tipster focusing on Huawei Intel.
He also suggests that Leica is looking for a new smartphone OEM partner, and Xiaomi, Honor and Sharp are likely candidates. And why not all of them? A non-exclusive agreement is very possible, the Nokia-Zeiss and Sony-Zeiss partnerships are just one example.
It’s sad to see this partnership go as Huawei and Leica have been producing some good camera phones over the years, but perhaps the trade sanctions imposed on Huawei have taken a toll on the relationship.
Update: Leica has reached out with an official statement on this rumor.
The reliable and long-term technology partnership with Huawei Consumer Business Group has been in existence since 2015. Since its inception, the partnership provides tremendous value to consumers as well as to both companies. Of course, as co-operation continues, the associated respect for all confidentialities is maintained. The partners agree to keep all details of the contract secret. Please understand that we will not comment on this
