Realme’s Ultra Phone Concept Uses Leica M-Mount Lenses

Mar 04, 2025

Ted Kritsonis

A person holds a Realme smartphone with an attached lens, resembling a high-end camera setup. The phone and lens are held with both hands, highlighting silver rings on the fingers. The background is blurred.

Realme unveiled a surprise concept phone dubbed “Ultra” at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona as part of a broader interchangeable lens system that would come bundled with two lenses influenced by Leica’s M-mount.

To be clear, Leica has no involvement in this conceptual product. Realme confirmed to PetaPixel that it chose to adopt the M-mount for its size and focal versatility. Beyond that, no collaboration or licensing is involved since the two lenses in this Ultra concept were apparently developed in-house at Realme.

This idea differs from the Xiaomi Modular Optical System prototype also unveiled at MWC, which uses a magnet, pins, and proprietary technology to mount the phone onto a concept Xiaomi 15 phone.

Close-up with the Realme Ultra

Realme’s approach is more aligned with traditional camera mounts, though this package comes with a sort of dual-mount setup. The Ultra phone has a circular camera module (similar to Xiaomi and Vivo, ironically) with an exposed Type 1 sensor. It’s covered by tough glass, so it isn’t necessarily in danger, though Realme reps didn’t address what replacing that glass might cost should it sustain cracks or scrapes that would impede the sensor. The glass is also designed to keep dust away, as it won’t have a lens cap.

A person holds a Realme smartphone horizontally, showcasing its large circular camera module on the back. The phone has a sleek black and silver design, and the brand name "Realme" is visible.

This is a customized Type 1 Sony CMOS sensor, and next to it are Type 1 sensors for the main (Sony IMX989) and ultra-wide (IMX890). That’s a rarity for any phone: not one, but three one-inch sensors on a single phone. Those two cameras shoot on their own and don’t work with the interchangeable lenses in any way, which Realme is essentially treating as a broader telephoto.

Along the edges of the phone’s camera module is where the adapter connects, and once locked in, is able to mount an actual lens. This prototype comes with two, a 73mm and 234mm. Both have manual focus and aperture rings with lens caps. The 73mm, in particular, pays homage to Leica based on the square lens hood, though you could argue the 234mm is just as much a reference piece as well.

A person is attaching a large camera lens to a smartphone using an adapter. Another smartphone is visible in the background, mounted on a tripod. The setup suggests a mobile photography or videography setting.

The Realme demo in its MWC booth held this setup on a tripod using a mount Realme 3D printed, so it doesn’t come with the whole bundle. While it is too soon to cast judgment since it’s not mass-produced yet, the mere fact a 234mm lens is included suggests a tripod mount should be part of the mix here. Technically, it might be possible to use a standard clamp phone mount to set this up, but I’m not sure it’s wise, given the weight distribution.

Two people taking photos of a man in a suit on stage with their smartphones. One phone screen is visible, showing the man from the back. The background is blurred, focusing on the phone screens.

When removed from the tripod, it becomes clear how unwieldy the system can be even with two hands, let alone one. The lack of a grip is glaring, forcing the user to cradle the device from the lens with one hand (not unlike any other camera) while holding the phone with the other, similar to how you would otherwise do so without a lens attached. You can still move your thumb to focus and snap a photo, but without a grip or mechanical way to capture an image with a physical shutter, it feels like you’re spending half the time figuring out the best way to hold it. Moreover, the weight transfers even more from the shutter hand to the lens hand, making for a somewhat unstable situation. On the other hand, you won’t find a bigger preview screen on any DSLR or mirrorless.

The only problem is the screen doesn’t articulate. Trying to capture photos from higher, lower, or angled perspectives becomes more of a blind crapshoot. In most cases, the volume buttons are too far away to act as physical shutters, so you’re left with trial and error to get the image you want.

Image Quality Upon Getting Closer

Arrayed next to an iPhone 16 Pro Max, Realme is trying to demonstrate the proverbial cliff where built-in phone optics tumble over, especially when capturing portraits in low light. With a Realme staffer posing as a model in a high chair, reps took several photos at 3x (73mm) and 10x (234mm) to show the differences in comparison.

The caveat is that the iPhone’s telephoto lens is 120mm equivalent at f/2.8, whereas the Ultra’s 73mm lens is noticeably wider at f/2.8. While the lens can stop up to as wide as f/1.4, the testers in the booth stuck to f/2.8 for a more precise comparison. The focal disparity in the optical focal distance makes this duel feel odd since it’s not entirely apples-to-apples from that perspective.

Two smartphones mounted side by side on a rig are being used to take photos. Each phone is equipped with an additional external lens. A person's hands adjust the setup, focusing on the screens which display a stained glass window.

Two smartphones display the same image of a woman with dark hair wearing a light coat. She stands in front of a stained glass window. The phones are mounted on tripod stands for demonstration.

Not surprisingly, the Ultra smashes Apple’s flagship, but we’ll never know how the latter might’ve fared if equipped with a similar setup. Granted, the iPhone’s telephoto uses a considerably smaller 12-megapixel sensor compared to the Ultra’s Type 1 CMOS at 50 megapixels. Still, metadata from photos I saw on the phone show pixel binning at 12.5-megapixels, so they are on par as far as resolution goes.

Two smartphones display the same woman's portrait. The left phone shows a more pixelated image, while the right phone displays a clearer and brighter version. The background has colorful, circular lights.

Apple also has no real way to compete at 234mm, no matter how highly it touts its hybrid zoom. Results are predictably terrible under the straightforward conditions in the Realme booth, with the Ultra getting exposure, contrast, depth of field, and color far more accurately than the yellowed haze produced by the Pro Max.

The other part of the equation here is action photography. Apple has yet to take it seriously, whereas Realme’s sensor and lenses offer a much better chance of freezing a moving subject. There was no objective test for this at the show, but brief snaps from attendees capturing minimal movement in the booth show some promise.

What to Expect Next

Realme isn’t laying out when it might launch this Ultra interchangeable lens concept or even at what price. The phone’s specs don’t necessarily indicate flagship status, considering the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset inside, which was the standard in 2023. Internal specs are always subject to change with any prototype, so I don’t expect what’s there now to be there if or when this system sees the light of day.

Close-up of two hands holding camera lenses. The left hand holds a smaller lens with various markings, while the right hand holds a larger lens with a ribbed grip. Both lenses are black with silver accents. A blurred background adds context.

It’s also not clear what, if any, plans Realme has for producing other lenses. True, the other two cameras on the phone have Type 1 sensors, but different lenses at varying focal lengths could make sense if there’s traction with this concept. The Leica M-mount lineup offers another avenue, albeit one that may be a hard sell for those who aren’t already Leica owners.

Regardless of the unknown path for this thing, it’s still good to see some brands take chances with what’s possible on smartphones, the most prolific camera of all.