Technically, it is considered a compact, sophisticated P&S, in the same category as Sony's RX1 and RX100 series as well as the RX10 series, and similar compacts with fixed lenses made by other manufacturers, too: Canon, Fuji, Ricoh, etc. The outstanding feature of the Leica Q series and also Sony's RX1 series is that they are full-frame, where most of the others have either APS-C or a 1" sensor. These all offer more control over the camera, meant for photography enthusiasts, compared to more consumer-oriented P&S, many of which have an even smaller sensor and don't even include any sort of viewfinder these days. Also, the latter have largely been replaced by smart phone cameras.
