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I recently spent a week in Europe toting around the Huawei P20 Pro [1]on a Huawei media tour. The company flew a handful of journalists overseas for a chance to learn more about the P20 Pro's camera system and the company's partnership with the high-end camera company Leica.
When Huawei[2] and Leica[3] first announced the partnership to use Leica technology[4] in Huawei smartphones to improve the camera experience, there was a lot of doubt regarding whether this was a true partnership -- where both companies are actively working together -- or just a licensing deal.
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After several conversations and a visit to Leica's campus in Wetzlar, Germany, I have little doubt this is a mere licensing deal. Looking back on the trip, I learned quite a bit about the partnership.
(Image: Jason Cipriani/ZDNet)
How it started
In 2014, Huawei was looking for ways to improve its smartphone cameras, and Leica had been looking to branch out into the mobile space. Through a series of talks, Huawei and Leica decided it was a match and began working on what was eventually released in the Huawei P9 in 2016.
(Image: Jason Cipriani/ZDNet)
About the lenses
They're not glass. It's true. Leica may be known for its glass lenses in far more expensive cameras, but the lenses used on Huawei smartphones are plastic. When asked about any challenges or obstacles a plastic lens presents, Leica officials equated the plastic used for Huawei lenses to just another form of glass. Albeit a far less expensive form of glass.