Japanese operator SoftBank Corp unveiled the first smartphone using branding from German camera company Leica, pointing to a range of features centred around photography and videography on the handset.

Leitz Phone 1 is being marketed as an exclusive by the operator and will be available in the second half of the year, it explained in a translated statement. SoftBank is taking orders from today (18 June) at a retail price of JPY187,920 ($1,705).

The smartphone uses camera lens technology from Leica and software features designed to recreate the black and white images Softbank describes as being typical of the Leica’s classic products. The device is manufactured by Sharp.

Leitz Phone 1 uses an octacore Snapdragon 888 5G chipset, features a 6.6-inch display and 5000mAh battery.

The talked-up main camera is 20MP with “1-inch high-performance image sensor” and a 12.6MP front camera.

SoftBank noted the device was still in production so specifications may change ahead of formal release.