<\/span><\/p>\n Storied camera brand Leica has been involved with Xiaomi\u2019s phones for a few years and its newest flagship doesn\u2019t disappoint in that regard, because this is another Xiaomi device dedicated to photography.<\/p>\n The 17 Ultra has a huge 1-inch 50-megapixel main camera sensor with a f\/1.67 lens, and a telephoto setup with a 200MP 1\/1.4-inch sensor and going up to 4.3x optical zoom. Xiaomi claims it\u2019s capable of up to 17x \u201coptical-level zoom,\u201d but quality doesn\u2019t measure up to, say, the Oppo Find X9, with its dedicated telescopic lens add-on. There\u2019s also a 50MP ultrawide camera to round things out.<\/p>\n The main camera is very impressive, delivering plenty of detail and performing incredibly well in low light, seemingly before any computational photography kicks in. A new Light Fusion 1050L sensor features LOFIC HDR technology, delivering stronger control over highlights and more detail in darker areas of your shots. I've been impressed by the balanced color tone and contrast, without having to edit or add one of the (many) Leica camera filters.<\/p>\n If anything, the slightly heavy-handed algorithms can sometimes ruin parts of a shot. For instance, by scrambling lettering or capturing blurry, AI-mutated faces where computational photography takes a swing (and a miss) at people in the distance.<\/p>\n The telephoto camera alone is also technically interesting in a few ways. It offers continual optical zoom across the 75-100mm range without in-sensor cropping. This means the lenses physically move to deliver lossless zoom across a range of distances, without jarring leaps between camera sensors and crops. This doesn\u2019t run across the full gamut, but it does roughly cover the 3-4x optical zoom range, which is often used in portrait photography.<\/p>\n The APO (apochromatic) lens design on the telephoto is more immediately useful and effective. An APO lens significantly reduces chromatic aberration by focusing three wavelengths of light (red, green and blue) onto the same focal plane. This lens design means it can correct color fringing and improve image sharpness.<\/p>\n At higher zoom levels, fringing and lighting bloom often hamper telephoto photos on smartphones, and Xiaomi\u2019s solution has some appeal. I noticed less fringing than on other zoom-capable Android phones from Samsung, Oppo and Google. It also supports macro photography, but is hindered this time by a minimum focal distance of 30cm (11.8 inches). Most smartphone cameras\u2019 macro modes let you get much closer.<\/p>\n The 17 Ultra can capture up to 8K video (at 30 fps), 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps, and 4K 120 fps Log video, ensuring you can make the most of that huge 1-inch sensor in video, too. That said, it seems to struggle with stabilization at times, while its low-light performance doesn\u2019t match its prowess in still photography, lagging behind flagship phones from Apple, Google and Samsung.<\/p>\n There's also a special Leica edition of the 17 Ultra, which is largely the same, specification-wise, but with a manual zoom ring around the camera unit. It's a cool gimmick, but felt oddly loose on a few devices I've handled. <\/p>\n Xiaomi made a few design changes to its Ultra line this year, with a new, entirely flat display, and flattened edges that look like a certain family of devices. In fairness, it\u2019s not the only company using imitation as flattery. There\u2019s also IP68 protection against dust and water.<\/p>\n While cameras may be the highlight, this is a flagship device by any specification metric. With a 6.9-inch display, this expansive OLED display has variable refresh rates (1-120Hz) and peaks at 3,500 nits of brightness.<\/p>\n At that size, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is in the territory of devices like the iPhone 17 Pro Max and S26 Ultra. A phone this size isn\u2019t for everyone, but it is the thinnest Ultra phone from Xiaomi to date, with a profile measuring 8.29mm. Xiaomi has also reduced the camera unit\u2019s diameter and raised it on the device, making it easier to use and helping keep fingers out of your shots.<\/p>\n Also, I\u2019d be remiss if I didn\u2019t mention the huge 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, with support for Xiaomi\u2019s 90W HyperCharge (if you have the right charger) and 50W wireless HyperCharge (which also requires Xiaomi\u2019s own dock) speeds. Other phone makers: Please put a battery this huge in your flagship.<\/p>\n At MWC 2026, the company announced the global launch and rollout of the device across Europe, including the UK where the Ultra will start priced at \u00a31,299 (roughly $1,750). We're still waiting to confirm US availability and pricing.<\/p>\n While the specs are powerful, \u201claunching\u201d a flagship device that\u2019s already been in the wild for a few months \u2014 even if elsewhere in the world \u2014 reduces the spectacle.<\/p>\n