Xiaomi has unveiled its latest smartphone, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. The company also announced the upgrade of its Global Imaging Strategic Cooperation agreement with Leica.
Design
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra follows the design style of the company’s 17 series smartphones. However, it is the first model in the Ultra line with a flat display. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra also features an ultra-thin bezel display and a more streamlined appearance. At only 0.33 inches (8.29 mm), the new phone is the thinnest Ultra model Xiaomi has released to date. In addition, it has a micro-curved aluminum alloy frame with greater body curves than the previous models. You can choose between four color options: white, black, purple and green.
Leica lenses
The camera deco on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra has a smaller diameter than previous models. It’s also placed higher on the body of the smartphone. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra features a triple-camera system with a 14mm ultra-wide lens, a 23 mm lens, and a 200 MP 75-100 mm optical zoom lens. Xiaomi says that lenses cover shooting scenarios including landscape, portrait, and street photography. Plus, the lenses deliver enable cleaner and more accurate night photography thanks to improvements in optical design and image processing.
23 mm Leica camera
The 23 mm lens on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra features a Leica 1-inch ultra dynamic camera. It uses a Light Fusion 1050L sensor with LOFIC HDR technology. This also delivers a full well capacity 6.3 times greater than the previous generation one-inch sensor.
As a result, the camera offers improved highlight control and shadow detail in high-contrast scenes, including backlit and night environments.
75-100 mm Leica camera
The Leica 200 MP 75-100 mm telephoto camera has an optical zoom across the full range. It has a 1/1.4-inch large sensor and supports native 200 MP image quality without digital cropping from 75-100mm. The zoom lens also features a Leica APO optical lens design. This uses three custom glass material lenses to reduce chromatic aberration, as well as a prism. The second and third lens groups can move independently to adjust focal length and focus.
Snapdragon 8 Elite
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform. This features an improved CPU structure and an Adreno 840 with ultra-large graphics cache to ensure smooth handling of complex tasks.
The Xiaomi 3D Dual-Channel IceLoop System and a new capillary structure delivers a 50% improvement in thermal conductivity compared to the previous generation.
Display
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has a state-of-the-art display with 120 Hz LTPO refresh rate, and 3,500 nits peak brightness. Xiaomi HyperRGB also significantly enhances screen power efficiency. The company says it delivers clarity matching 2K displays with a power consumption lower than typical 1.5K displays. In addition, the display features the latest Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0. This screen has a drop resistance up to 20 times that of ordinary strengthened glass.
Other features
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has a 6800 mAh battery which supports 90W wired HyperCharge, 50 W wireless HyperCharge, and 90 W universal PD PPS charging. It also features upgraded dual stereo speakers with brand-new AI noise reduction. This delivers excellent noise suppression and crystal quality for two-way calls. Additionally, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra offers IP66, IP68 and IP69 certification for water and dust resistance.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica is the inaugural flagship of Xiaomi and Leica’s upgraded strategic partnership. It was designed with direct involvement from the original Leica team, and inspired by the classic Leica M-series cameras. As a result, the back panel has a dual-tone, textured leather design and the prestigious Leica red dot badge.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica model also features a manual zoom ring which also opens the Leica camera app. Additionally, the smartphone offers a Leica Essential mode to recreate the image quality of the Leica M9 and Leica M3 cameras.
What we think
The new Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica are more like cameras than smartphones. You can make calls and send messages, but these devices are optimized and specialized for their camera features. Both versions of the smartphone offer good cameras. However, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica model features the manual zoom ring and Leica camera emulations for only a small price premium. As a result, that’s the option to choose if you want the best camera in your pocket. It’s just a shame there won’t be an official U.S. release.
Pricing and availability
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra starts from 6999 yuan ($1,000) for the 12 GB /512 GB model, up to 8499 yuan ($1,215) for the 16 GB/1 TB option. Alternatively, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica costs 7999 yuan ($1,145) for the 16 GB/512 GB model and 8999 yuan ($1,285) for the top of the range 16 GB/1 TB model. The smartphones go on sale in China from December 27, 2025, and should get a global launch in 2026.
