Leica is making an even bigger play for iPhone photographers with the launch of Leica LUX 2.0, the biggest update yet to its mobile camera app, alongside a new silver LUX grip and matching leather cases for Apple’s latest iPhone 18 Pro series.
The updated Leica LUX app brings the mobile experience closer to Leica’s wider camera ecosystem, with a new gallery interface based on the Leica FOTOS app, a redesigned user interface and a selection of alternative app icons inspired by some of Leica’s most recognizable cameras. Leica has also introduced elements of Apple’s Liquid Glass design language while keeping the main photographic controls in familiar positions, so existing LUX users shouldn’t have to relearn how to use the app completely.
One of the headline additions is a new Artist Look created in collaboration with legendary photographer Steve McCurry. Rather than attempting to automatically turn every photograph into something resembling one of McCurry’s images, Leica says the look has been designed around his distinctive approach to color, light, and atmosphere, giving photographers a starting point from which to develop their own images. It follows the earlier Greg Williams Artist Look and will be included with Leica LUX PRO, while also being made available for the Leica Q3 and Leica SL3 through the Leica FOTOS app.
“With Leica LUX 2.0, mobile photography is becoming more closely integrated with the Leica system. The shared gallery, the new user interface and Steve McCurry’s Artist Look offer photographers new ways to develop their own visual language using an iPhone. Together with the silver Leica LUX grip and matching cases, the result is a coordinated range for mobile photography,” says Marius Eschweiler, Leica Camera AG’s Vice President of Mobile.
Leica LUX 2.0 also introduces a number of useful workflow improvements. A new filmstrip makes it possible to select individual photographs directly from the detail view, while multiselect functionality has been added to the grid for photographers working through larger groups of images.
Adobe Lightroom and Capture One can also now be opened directly from the app alongside Darkroom, making it easier to move images into a more advanced editing workflow. The app will support the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max from launch, with additional optimizations designed around the photographic capabilities of Apple’s newest Pro models.
The app itself is only one part of Leica’s increasingly ambitious mobile photography system. The Leica LUX grip is now available in silver for the first time, joining the existing black version while retaining the same physical controls. That includes a two-stage shutter release, a control wheel, and two customizable function buttons, with the grip attaching to an iPhone via MagSafe and communicating with the phone over Bluetooth. Leica says its battery will last for up to 1,000 shots before needing to be recharged through USB-C, while compatibility stretches back to the iPhone 12.
Leica is also introducing new black leather LUX cases designed specifically for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The cases feature a red microfiber interior and are designed to work directly with the LUX grip and other MagSafe accessories. Leica has also replaced the previous open cutout around the iPhone’s camera button with an integrated button, creating what it describes as a more robust and completely enclosed design.
The new accessories are certainly positioned at the premium end of the iPhone photography market. The silver Leica LUX grip costs £260 / €300 and includes one year of Leica LUX PRO, while the leather Leica LUX cases are priced at £85 / €95 each. Both the grip and cases are available from today through Leica Stores, Leica’s online store, and authorized retailers.
The Steve McCurry Artist Look and support for the iPhone 18 Pro series are also available now, while the full Leica LUX 2.0 update, including its new gallery, redesigned interface and alternative app icons, will arrive on the Apple App Store in early October.
Leica says LUX has already been downloaded millions of times since its introduction in 2024, and with the company now bringing its app, physical controls and accessories closer together, it is becoming increasingly clear that Leica sees the iPhone as much more than simply another smartphone camera.
