While Xiaomi has a behavior of staggering main telephone launches between its native China and the remainder of the world, the Xiaomi 17 sequence has taken a very very long time to make it throughout worldwide waters.
Thankfully, that wait is over with the corporate’s February 28 Barcelona launch occasion enjoying host to an abundance of recent Xiaomi tech; together with tablets, scooters, energy banks, AirTag opponents, smartwatches, and naturally, telephones.
Sadly, the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, with their ‘Dynamic Back Displays’ aren’t releasing internationally (Xiaomi has a behavior of conserving the Pro fashions as China-only). But we nonetheless get a lineup of top-notch new flagships to get pleasure from: the compact 6.3-inch Xiaomi 17 and the model’s newest digicam king: the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which additionally arrives in a premium kind internationally, dubbed the Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi (referred to as the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition in China).
Xiaomi 17 Ultra specs and value
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Dimensions: |
162.9mm x 77.6mm x 8.29mm |
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Weight: |
Black / White = 218.4 grams, Starlit Green = 219 grams |
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Display: |
6.9-inch Xiaomi HyperRGB OLED |
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Resolution: |
3120 x 1440 pixels |
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Refresh fee: |
1 to 120Hz (LTPO) |
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Chipset: |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
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RAM: |
16GB (LPDDR5X) |
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Storage: |
512GB, 1TB (UFS 4.1) |
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OS (at launch): |
HyperOS 3 atop Android 16 |
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Main digicam: |
50MP 1-inch 23mm ƒ/1.67 Light Fusion 1050L picture sensor w/ OIS |
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Ultrawide digicam: |
50MP 14mm ƒ/2.2 Samsung JN5 picture sensor w/ 115º FoV |
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Telephoto digicam |
200MP 75mm to 100mm ƒ/2.39 to 2.96, Samsung HPE sensor w/ OIS |
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Selfie digicam: |
50MP 21mm ƒ/2.2 sensor w/ 90° FoV |
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Battery: |
6,000mAh Xiaomi Surge Battery (Si-C) |
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Charging: |
90W wired, 50W wi-fi |
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Colors: |
Black, white, Starlit Green |
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Price |
£1,299 / €1,499 (512GB) | £1,499 / €1,699 (1TB) | £1,699 / €1,999 (Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi) |
New variable telephoto digicam
Image 1 of 6
Naturally, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is all about that digicam. Xiaomi has a long-standing partnership with famed digicam model Leica, and I’d say it’s put such a collaboration to make use of extra successfully than every other telephone maker, traditionally.
The Ultra’s new lead digicam advantages from Xiaomi’s newest and best 1-inch Light Fusion 1050L sensor, which options new LOFIC (Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor) HDR tech, serving to at-capacity pixels from blowing out the intense elements of a scene, even in darkish or excessive distinction situations. This additionally means a wider 16.5EV stops of dynamic vary (the bottom Xiaomi 17 – with out LOFIC – has solely a 13.5EV vary).
That’s paired with ‘Leica UltraPure optical design,’ which simply refers back to the seven-element hybrid lens, consisting of 1 glass component and varied optical coatings, to scale back glare, distortion and enhance readability.
Image 1 of 19
As spectacular as that every one sounds, nevertheless, it was the telephoto digicam that I used to be most curious to check out. When you look behind the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, in comparison with its predecessor, the obvious distinction is the lack of the secondary 3x telephoto sensor.
This 12 months, Xiaomi has as an alternative opted for a extra complicated and technically spectacular system, with the Ultra’s sole telephoto digicam in a position to mechanically shift between an equal 75mm and 100mm focal size, with out counting on sensor cropping; to not point out it boasts a most optical zoom vary of 17.2x (equal to 400mm).
While I’ve used telephones with mechanical zoom earlier than – particularly Sony’s Xperia 1 IV – it’s the pairing of the massive new 1/1.4-inch 200MP HPE sensor, the primary instance of an APO Leica lens on a smartphone, and that Xiaomi/Leica picture processing that I fell in love with on final 12 months’s 15 Ultra, that provides the 17 Ultra such an enormous benefit.
Admittedly, the transfer between 75mm and 100mm doesn’t really feel large, but it surely has allowed Xiaomi to slim down this technology of Ultra, with out compromising on the digicam expertise.
Thinnest Ultra ever
One of the large speaking factors with this 12 months’s Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, is that it’s the thinnest within the sequence but, however that’s additionally true with the brand new Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Clocking in at 8.29mm, the 17 Ultra is between 11% and 13% thinner – relying on which Xiaomi 15 Ultra colorway you’re evaluating in opposition to (it’s additionally lighter). While smartphone cameras are already massively extra handy and pocketable than typical mirrorless cameras, even delicate financial savings on thickness like this go a great distance, particularly within the case of Xiaomi’s Ultras, which have a few of the most outstanding digicam bumps round.
The huge contradiction right here is that the 17 Ultra additionally has considerably higher thermal efficiency than its predecessor. A thinner physique, inherently means a smaller thermal envelope, however the 17 Ultra’s Dual-Channel IceLoop cooling system is definitely twice as efficient because the 15 Ultra’s.
In observe, this implies cooler charging, higher sustained efficiency, longer gaming periods, and extra.
Bigger, brighter show
While some is likely to be turned off by the generational drop in decision, in side-by-side comparisons, the soar from 522 ppi all the way down to 416 ppi isn’t as noticeable as you may assume. In trade, Xiaomi has graced the 17 Ultra with the sequence greatest and brightest panel but.
A 6.9-inch 1200 x 2608 LTPO 120Hz AMOLED, with a peak output of 3,500 nits (up from 3,200 nits on the 15 Ultra). And that isn’t a single level peak determine both, however a 25% APL (Average Picture Level) quoted determine. This interprets to a fantastically immersive viewing expertise, helped by the show’s razor-thin bezels (achieved by way of the identical LIPO manufacturing course of utilized by the iPhone).
Xiaomi’s customized M10 show materials – which I first encountered on the respectable Poco F8 Pro – additionally renders it extra environment friendly, whereas the model’s ‘HyperRGB’ pixel format means you get related sharpness to a traditional PenTile pixel format.
Early ideas
Although the Xiaomi 17 Ultra isn’t an earth-shattering reimagining of the last few generations within the line, it didn’t should be. There’s clear proof of innovation, from that variable telephoto sensor, to the thermal developments, the slimmed-down design, greater battery, extra immersive show, the checklist goes on.
While firms like Honor, Oppo, Vivo, Apple, Samsung and Google are all recognized for producing a few of the best camera phones, their generational enhancements are sometimes extra predictable than what Xiaomi and Leica have created with the 17 Ultra. And that’s all earlier than you take a look at its wider function set.
Do I want the tactile focus ring management from the Leitzphone model had been made normal throughout the entire line? Of course. Rather than splintering the Photography Kit into two tiers, ought to they’ve simply added a shutter button to the telephone itself? I’d have liked that. But as it’s, there’s clearly depth to the Xiaomi 17 Ultra expertise but to be unearthed. Check again for the total evaluation quickly.
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