Sam has actually tested and used many of the Xiaomi phones (along with countless other devices from Chinese OEMs that never come to the states) and can state unequivocally that they are good products with excellent cameras. Beyond that, he notes that it makes sense for Leica, which has never been shy with licensing its brand all over the place, to want its brand in front of millions of aspirational customers.

Sam goes deeper into the history of why Chinese smartphone software looks and works the way it does, too. It’s a good read and smart perspective that we don’t always see in Western coverage.