In many ways, specifically when looking at price, Leica might just be the most exclusive brand in photography. Now the company is teaming up with Chinese smartphone, and more recently notebook, manufacturer, Huawei. This strategic partnership is set to span research and development, design, co-engineering, user experience, marketing and retail distribution.

The specifics of the deal have not been revealed, but it seems the end-goal is clear, with Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, chairman of the supervisory board of Leica Camera AG, stating the companies want to achieve “the best possible imaging results in the field of smartphone photography.”

In the past year, Huawei has been actively pursuing a more premium look and feel for their top devices, with both the P8 (review) and the Mate S impressing. In both units, camera functionality was already strong, so it seems that with the partnership with Leica, Huawei wants to take imaging to the next level, especially if they can manage some Leica glass in front of their sensors.

For an exclusive brand such as Leica, getting a foot in the door in the smartphone market, adding another stream of revenue, could be the reason behind the team-up with Huawei.

While Leica purists might balk at the idea of a smartphone carrying the famous red dot, might we just remind them that Leica has not been shy of some rather dodgy collaborations in the past, if the pre-scuffed Correspondent Leica M-P designed by Lenny Kravitz is anything to go by.