Black Design Associates has just announced the Leica i9 Concept Camera for Apple iPhone 4. Unlike most camera cases that simply add another lens onto your iPhone 4, the Leica i9 Concept Camera is a whole different ballgame. If we had to break it down, it would be more accurately described as a Leica camera with a slot to attach your iPhone 4 than a camera case itself.
The Leica i9 Concept comes with its own lens and CMOS sensor for taking photographs. It even has an internal storage (expandable by an SD card) that is used to store all the pictures it takes – in fact, it doesn’t even need your iPhone to function. But when an iPhone 4 is attached to it, pictures taken with the Leica i9 can be transferred to the phone and then shared online using the phone’s connectivity options and apps. More iPhone features will be available in the future, but at the moment, sharing photos is just about it.
The Leica i9 Concept Camera packs a 12.1 megapixel lens with 8x optical zoom and 35mm equivalent focal length and ready-to-shoot operation. It will also use an independent battery that can be shared with the iPhone 4 (and vice versa) for extended operation. When not in use, it acts as a protective case for the iPhone, though you’ll probably need something else to protect the camera instead. No prices or release dates have been confirmed, but the Leica i9 Concept Camera is targeted at folks who feel that their iPhone 4 camera just isn’t good enough and want something more.
Filed in . Read more about Apple Inc, Camera, iOS and iPhone 4.