Imagining a Compact Camera Designed by Leica and Apple

The Leica i9 is a concept camera case dreamed up by design firm BLACK Design Associates for the iPhone 4. Unlike the Slow Photography Camera we shared last week, the i9 is actually an independent camera that simply uses the iPhone as a giant touch screen and as a modem for the web.

The Leica i9 Concept offers timeless design, durability and the unmatched brilliance of Leica’s high performance camera system to compliment the unparalleled processing, display and sharing capabilities of Apple’s iPhone4. With upgradeable software, partner plug-ins/apps, and the ability to take advantage of an ever-growing list of new iPhone features, the possibilities are limitless…

The concept is basically to imagine what would happen if Leica and Apple got together to create a modular digital camera, with Leica providing the lens, sensor, and body, and Apple providing the processing power and touch screen interface.

What do you think of the idea?