This sensor is rather for the industrial cameras like the ones JAI, Avigilon, Lumenera, etc., for mainly survey and monitoring applications. The sensor in concern has a limited SNR of around 70dB which is not different than the KAF10500 (the one on the M8). I do not believe that Leica would opt the CCD route again as the new APS-C sensors (DXO rating) are claiming dynamic ranges better than the Phase One IQ180 or color depth of 24 bits and ISO6400 has become norm for 2012. The new Sony sensor employed on the Nikon D800/800E brought a totally new dimension to the FF concept.
The bigger question, however, is if Leica will once again use a CCD chip in the M10 or go to a CMOS chip? Stefan Daniel, Leica’s Director of Product Management, is on record as saying that the M system would benefit from advanced features like LiveView and Video and those can only be accomplished if they moved to using a CMOS sensor. Assuming this is true, where could Leica source their chips from?
Teledyne makes CMOS sensors, but do not appear to have any current product that could be used in a full frame camera. Leica’s consumer digital cameras are all made in cooperation with Panasonic and it is theoretically possible that they could source a Panasonic CMOS sensor. As far as I know, Panasonic currently doesn’t make a full-frame CMOS sensor. The other Leica digital camera, the APS-C sized X1 uses a Sony CMOS sensor. Now Sony is in the business of providing sensors to other manufacturers and in fact have full-frame CMOS sensors available – with excellent performance as well.
Time slips away fast in the digital universe and Leica AG's problem is not the sensor alone... Now multi-engined processor units, carbon-fiber shutters capable of 400K actuations are developed. Over-50 point AF circuitries capable of focusing in less than 1/10 second, 91.000 pixel metering sensors are being offered.. Note also the processor engines: Expeed belongs to Nikon, Digic to Canon, Bionz to Sony, developed by themselves! Proprietary chips; whoever develops something noteworthy keeps it for themselves to compete and survive.