Phone camera partnership had a very rocky start. These collaborations, while bringing big names, felt vague sometimes. Simply slapping a logo on the camera module and making a few color tuning changes will have you wondering how much of it actually changes the photos you take, especially when the price of a phone takes a hike.

Such partnerships have been bringing great results in the last couple of years, and a device that really made it apparent was the Xiaomi 17T Pro .

I spend a day shooting with it, moving between outdoor portraits, cafe shelves, product displays, and dimly lit corners of a bar. What pulled me to the experience wasn’t the realistic colors or camera specs; it was the character. Each shot has a texture to it, a mood to the shadows, and a sense of intent that had me looking for the next frame.

Vikhyaat Vivek / Digital Trends

I’ve always had a soft corner for Xiaomi’s Leica collaboration.…