A little over a week ago, my colleague Nikita Achanta put the Xiaomi-made Leica Leitzphone to the test against the Pixel 10 Pro XL in a 200-photo shootout. Looking through the batch of side-by-side photos, I was amazed by how easily the Leitzphone cruised to victory.
Soon afterward, I started seeing ads on my phone for the Leica LUX app for iOS. That got me thinking: I already have the best camera phone in my pocket, so why not get that Leica look with my snapshots using this app? I ended up downloading the free app and snapped several photos over the weekend with my iPhone 17 Pro.
I didn’t have high expectations going in, but now I can’t go back to using the standard iOS 26 camera app. Here’s why.
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Get that classic “Leica look”
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If you’ve shot photos with a Leica camera or lens, then you know exactly what the “Leica look” is. While the iOS 26 camera app lets me use different photo styles, there’s something dreamy about the way the Leica LUX app captures photos with my iPhone 17 Pro. Honestly, it boils down to factors like the app’s color science and lens selection.
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With the latter, it’s like having access to real Leica lenses — except it’s all simulated via software. Take the set of shots above of the Land Rover Defender that I captured by the beach. I selected the i-Summilux 100mm f/1.5 ASPH lens, which allows me to dial in the exact amount of bokeh applied to the background.
The ultra-shallow depth of field with this lens manages to emphasize stunning clarity with the SUV. But beyond the optics of the simulated lenses, there’s also the Leica color science. It truly transforms the way my photos look — just see how each filter changes the mood in the gallery above.
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Beginners will surely love the app’s ease of use, but it’s also well-suited for enthusiasts looking to level up their mobile photography. That’s because the Leica LUX app offers the tools serious photographers need, including manual controls for adjusting parameters such as shutter speed, ISO, white balance, focus, and more.
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However, I challenge you to spend time in Aperture mode, because that’s where you can cycle through the various color profiles and lenses. More importantly, I can manually adjust the aperture setting to achieve the exact look I want — and the results above speak for themselves. Even mundane shots, like a Bowflex dumbbell on the floor or my shameless gym selfie, become elevated when these tools are used properly.
What’s truly amazing is that I get all of this access with the free version of the Leica LUX app. You can unlock additional Leica Pro looks and premium lens simulations with a subscription to Leica LUX Pro, which costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year.
Just the kind of creativity I want
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You could buy the Leica Leitzphone, but why do that when you already have an iPhone? Just download the app and you can start elevating your photography immediately. I think you’ll be astounded by the results. I actually showed some of these photos to a few friends, and they all assumed I had snapped them using my expensive, professional camera setup. Needless to say, they were floored when I told them the shots all came from my iPhone.
Now that I’ve experienced what the Leica LUX app can do, it’s a tool I’ll be keeping in my daily rotation simply because of how it delivers a totally different aesthetic. It moves away from over-processed look we’ve grown accustomed to getting from our phones and brings back a more soulful aesthetic. If you’re looking to give your iPhone a dreamy edge that stands out from the crowd, this app is the easiest upgrade you can make — and you don’t even have to buy a new lens to get it.
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