Highlights
- Xiaomi has launched a new Leica Edition along with the standard Xiaomi 17 Ultra
- The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition is aimed at photography lovers and comes with a mechanical zoom ring
- The Xiaomi 17 Ultra now features a triple rear camera setup
Xiaomi has officially launched the Xiaomi 17 Ultra in China, making it the fourth flagship smartphone from the brand this year. The device succeeds the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and joins the existing Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max models. With this launch, Xiaomi continues its strong focus on camera performance and premium hardware, while opting for a more balanced and less experimental design compared to its siblings.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is available in four colour options — Black, White, Starry Green, and Cool Smoke Purple. The Starry Green variant stands out with a mineral grain texture. Alongside the regular model, Xiaomi has also introduced the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition for the first time.
At its core, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm’s 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which is powering most Android flagships this year. It comes with up to 16GB LPDDR5x Ultra RAM and up to 1TB UFS 4.1 storage. The phone runs Android 16-based HyperOS 3 out of the box, with Xiaomi continuing to push AI features at the system level.
In terms of design, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra becomes the first Ultra-series Xiaomi phone to feature a flat 2D display paired with a flat vertical frame. It measures 162.9mm in height, 77.6mm in width, and is just 8.29mm thick, making it the slimmest Ultra smartphone Xiaomi has made so far.
Unlike the Xiaomi 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, which feature a secondary rear display for notifications and camera previews, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra skips this feature. Xiaomi has chosen a more traditional flagship design for its Ultra model this year, avoiding additional experimentation.
Cameras remain the highlight of the Ultra lineup, and Xiaomi has changed its approach this time. While the previous model came with a quad-camera setup, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra features a triple rear camera system with higher-resolution sensors. The setup includes a 50MP Light Fusion 1050L primary camera with a 1-inch sensor, LOFIC technology, and optical image stabilisation. It is paired with a 50MP ultra-wide camera with autofocus and a 200MP Samsung HPE periscope telephoto sensor.
The periscope camera offers continuous optical zoom from 3.2x to 4.3x, covering the range that earlier required multiple zoom lenses. The phone supports up to 8K video recording and features a 50MP OV50M front camera for selfies and video calls.
On the front, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra sports a 6.9-inch flat LTPO AMOLED display with 1.5K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and peak brightness of up to 3,500 nits. The display is protected by Dragon Crystal Glass 3 and includes an in-display fingerprint scanner. Other features include stereo speakers, a quad-microphone setup, Hi-Res audio support, and an IR sensor.
The battery capacity has been increased to 6,800mAh, up from 5,410mAh on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. While it falls short of the 7,000mAh batteries seen on some rival flagships, it still supports 90W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 22.5W wired reverse charging.
Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 and Bluetooth 6.0 (variant-dependent), NFC, USB Type-C, dual SIM support, satellite communication, and IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition shares the same core hardware as the standard model but puts a stronger emphasis on photography. The biggest addition is a mechanical zoom ring, allowing users to adjust focal length, exposure, and white balance manually.
The design closely resembles a classic camera, featuring a dual-tone finish inspired by Leica’s M-series, knurled edges for better grip, and the iconic red Leica logo on the back. Xiaomi has also added Leica Moment modes with a 3:2 aspect ratio, making it feel more natural for users familiar with professional cameras.
Beyond photography, the Leica Edition includes a dedicated security and encryption chip, dual-satellite communication, and a special custom box. The package includes accessories such as a lens cap, lanyard, magnetic case, and a cleaning cloth, turning the phone into a compact photography kit.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra Price and Availability
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is priced at:
- CNY 6,999 (around ₹89,000) for 12GB + 512GB
- CNY 7,499 (around ₹96,000) for 16GB + 512GB
- CNY 8,499 (around ₹1.09 lakh) for 16GB + 1TB
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition is priced at:
- CNY 7,999 (around ₹1.02 lakh) for 16GB + 512GB
- CNY 8,999 (around ₹1.15 lakh) for 16GB + 1TB
The phones will go on sale in China starting December 27. Xiaomi has not announced global launch details yet.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is ideal for buyers who prioritise camera hardware, battery life, and top-end performance over experimental design features. For Xiaomi 15 Ultra users, the new model offers a faster chipset, bigger battery, and upgraded camera system, while those looking for a more experimental experience may prefer the Xiaomi 17 Pro or Pro Max.
