Leica Camera From Former Apple Designers Jony Ive and Mark Newson Heading to Auction

A prototype Leica camera designed by former Apple designers Sir Jony Ive and Marc Newson is heading to auction in June (via The Verge).

jony ive leica camera 1

The camera prototype features many of the subtle industrial design cues Ive and Newson are known for, particularly on their Apple products. The exterior is also made of Ive's preferred lightweight material, aluminum. While the camera is not directly affiliated with Apple, it is clear to see the selective curves, polished finishes, and minimalism that have become synonymous with Apple's product designs.

jony ive leica camera 2

The prototype Leica camera was produced during the development of a one-off Product (RED) Leica M that was sold at a charity auction in 2013 for $1.8 million. A total of 561 models and nearly 1,000 prototype parts were made during the camera's design process.

Ive and Newson teamed up to create a range of products for the Product (RED) auction, including an aluminum desk, a striking red Mac Pro, and a set of solid gold EarPods, among other items.

A year after the auction, Newson joined Ive at Apple and became responsible for the design of the Apple Watch, having previously worked for wristwatch manufacturer Ikepod.

Both Ive and Newson departed Apple in 2019 to found the design company LoveFrom. Apple has said in the past that it was LoveFrom's first client and that Ive and Newson are still "very involved."

jony ive leica camera 3

The camera is said to be from the "final development step" of the design process and comes with a matching Apo-Summicron 2/50 mm ASPH lens. The device, described as being in "B+" condition, has a starting price of around $118,000. It is estimated to reach between $235,000 and $295,000 in bidding.

jony ive leica camera 4

Apple has not produced a dedicated camera since it released the 0.3 Mpx Apple QuickTake in 1994, but the prototype Leica may give the best glimpse yet of what a modern Apple camera could look like today.

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Top Rated Comments

qoop Avatar
48 months ago
One of Jony's.



Attachment Image
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zachdog Avatar
48 months ago
This camera is an example of everything that went wrong with Apple after Steve Jobs died. The buttons are useless because the markings are removed. Minimalist design might appear to be beautiful, but in this case renders the product nearly useless. For comparison, here are a few well-known product “features” of Apple products directly influenced by this form-over-function philosophy:

- thin but malfunctioning butterfly keyboards, stubbornly not redesigned for years
- iPhone batteries that don’t last the entire day, but hey, the phones are thin
- no current MacBook has more than a USB-C port, so you get dongles for everything, but look how clean the design is
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Arctic Moose Avatar
48 months ago

- thin but malfunctioning butterfly keyboards, stubbornly not redesigned for years
- iPhone batteries that don’t last the entire day, but hey, the phones are thin
- no current MacBook has more than a USB-C port, so you get dongles for everything, but look how clean the design is
* Removal of useful UI indicators, buttons and menu items in Big Sur (file proxy icons and search/filtering in Mail.app are big ones)
* Removal of the hardware charging state indicator
* Removal of the iPad mute/orientation switch
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eightarmedpet Avatar
48 months ago
Love it.
Super clean and minimal UI to the extent it renders it useless.
Ive is a terrible interface designer (not that I don't genuinely love his item design).
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
48 months ago
haha it looks like a non-functioning fake.

form over function, classic Ive
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mike_Trivisonno Avatar
48 months ago
Looks like something you would buy at IKEA. Minimalism is a boring. Mid Century Modern, Art Deco, and Art Nouveau are so much more expressive.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)