Xiaomi has officially unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, alongside a specialized Leica Edition at a launch event held tonight in China.
The launch also marked a significant milestone in the company’s partnership with Leica, announcing an upgrade from their previous “Joint R&D” foundation to a new “Strategic Co-creation Model.”
This new framework involves deep collaboration from the product’s inception, aiming to integrate Leica’s century-old optical expertise and aesthetic philosophy to reinvent the mobile imaging experience. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the first product born from this upgraded partnership.
Design and Display
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra introduces a significant shift in form factor, becoming the first model in the Ultra line to feature a flat display. While maintaining the design language of the 17 Series, it adopts a cleaner, linear form with an ultra-thin bezel. At just 8.29mm thick, it is the thinnest Ultra model Xiaomi has ever released.
Ergonomics have been improved through several refinements, including a micro-curved aluminum alloy frame, reduced camera deco diameter, and higher camera module placement for a more balanced in-hand feel. The device is available in four colors: White, Black, Purple, and Green.
Xiaomi also introduced updated accessories, including two sets of magnetic photography kits with redesigned ergonomics and an ultra-thin composite fiber case designed to preserve a “case-less” feel.
The phone features a 6.9-inch M10 OLED LTPO screen with peak brightness of 3500 nits, 1-120Hz variable refresh rate, has support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. New Xiaomi HyperRGB technology allows it to match 2K clarity with power consumption lower than typical 1.5K displays.
It is also the company’s thinnest Ultra device to date, measuring 8.29mm in thickness. The standard model is available in four color options: classic Black, White, “Cool Smoke Purple,” and “Starry Green,” which features a unique mineral grain texture. Upgraded dual stereo speakers with AI noise reduction ensure clear audio for calls and media. The device is rated IP66, IP68, and IP69 for comprehensive water and dust resistance.
Imaging System
The device features a triple-camera system designed to cover a wide range of scenarios from landscape to street photography. This system includes a 14mm ultra-wide lens, a 23mm Leica 1-inch ultra dynamic camera, and a Leica 200MP 75-100mm optical zoom telephoto camera.
- Leica 1-inch Ultra Dynamic Camera: Built on the Light Fusion 1050L sensor, this camera incorporates LOFIC HDR technology. It delivers a full well capacity 6.3 times greater than the previous generation, significantly improving highlight control and shadow detail in high-contrast and backlit environments.
- Leica 200MP Optical Zoom Telephoto: Addressing traditional limitations in mid-to-long focal lengths, this camera uses three precisely matched lens groups and a prism. The second and third lens groups move independently to achieve true optical zoom across the 75mm-100mm equivalent range. The system utilizes the full 1/1.4″ sensor throughout this range, supporting native 200MP quality without digital cropping.
- Leica APO Certification: The telephoto lens features a Leica APO optical design using three custom glass lenses to reduce chromatic aberration at the hardware level. This eliminates color fringing and ensures sharper images, making the Xiaomi 17 Ultra the first Xiaomi flagship to receive Leica APO certification.
The entire system utilizes a Leica UltraPure optical design with a G+P lens group to minimize ghosting and ensure stability in complex lighting.
Performance and Connectivity
Under the hood, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform. There is Xiaomi 3D Dual-Channel IceLoop System and a new capillary structure, a 50% improvement in thermal conductivity compared to the previous generation.
Connectivity features include a high-performance antenna array with five signal enhancement chips, supporting 51 4G and 5G frequency bands as well as UWB (Ultra-Wideband) technology.
It houses a 6800mAh battery, supporting 90W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. There is also 90W PPS charging support.
Notably, Xiaomi announced new interconnectivity features with the Apple ecosystem. Users can mirror and control their Xiaomi phones from an iPhone (allowing for actions like ordering takeout or scanning QR codes) and mirror control Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, and Mac) from the Xiaomi handset. Two-way mirroring between Xiaomi devices is also supported.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition
In addition to the standard model, Xiaomi released the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica. This special edition is a direct result of the “Strategic Co-creation Model,” designed with involvement from the original Leica team and inspired by the Leica M-series.
- Exclusive Design: The body features a dual-tone design (textured leather and matte finish) and a knurled middle frame engraved with “LEICA CAMERA GERMANY.” It is the first phone to feature the iconic Leica red dot badge.
- Master Zoom Ring: A physical ring with 20 high-strength ball bearings and an internal optical displacement sensor (0.03mm precision) allows for smooth, intuitive focus adjustments. The ring is fully sealed to maintain IP66/IP68/IP69 ratings.
- Leica Essential Mode: This exclusive mode recreates the image quality of legendary cameras.
- Leica M9 Style: Uses a “RAW-to-RGB” model trained on hundreds of thousands of M9 photos.
- Leica M3 Style: Digitally models the grain and tonality of Leica MONOPAN 50 film for authentic black-and-white images.
- Security & Satellite: The device introduces CAI Photo Authenticity Protection, using a security chip to digitally sign photos and verify their origin. It also supports a dual-satellite system (Tiantong and Beidou) for communication in remote areas.
- Package: The device comes in an exclusive gift box containing a magnetic protective case, lens cap, hanging rope, and cleaning cloth.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra specifications
- 6.9-inch (2608 x 1200 pixels) 2K M10 12-bit OLED 20:9 LTPO display, 1-120Hz variable refresh rate, up to 3500nits peak brightness, 5,000,000:1 (Min) contrast ratio, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 1920Hz PWM Dimming, DC Dimming, Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0 protection
- Octa Core Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 3nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 840 GPU
- 12GB / 16GB LPPDDR5x RAM with 512GB / 1TB UFS 4.1 storage
- Dual SIM (nano + nano)
- Xiaomi HyperOS 3.0
- 50MP Leica main camera with 1-inch Light Fusion 1050L sensor 14EV native dynamic range, f/1.67 ultra-large aperture, 1G+6P Aspherical High-Transparency Lens Group, OIS, 50MP Leica Ultra Wide Angle camera with 115° ultra-wide viewing angle lens, 5cm super macro, f/2.2 ultra-large aperture 200MP Leica super telephoto with 1/1.4-inch HPE image sensor, ƒ/2.39-2.96 ultra-large aperture, 3.2-4.3x optical periscope telephoto, 3G+5P Aspherical High-Transparency Lens Group, 30cm Telephoto Macro, OIS 8K video recording
- 50MP front-facing camera, 4K 60 fps recording
- In-display 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, Infrared sensor
- USB Type-C audio, Hi-Res audio, Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, 4-microphone array
- Dimensions: 162.9×77.6×8.29mm; Weight: 223.4g (black, white, cool purple); 224g (starry sky green)
- Dust and waterproof (IP66 + IP68 + IP69 ratings)
- 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 7 802.11 be, Bluetooth 6.0, BeidouB1I + B1C+ B2a｜GPS: L1 + L5｜Galileo: E1 + E5a | GLONASS: G1｜QZSS: L1 + L5｜NavIC: L5, USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, NFC, Satellite communication
- 6800mAh (Typical) battery with 90W wired fast charging, 50W wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
Pricing and Availability
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra 12GB + 512GB: 6999 yuan (USD 995 / Rs. 89,455 approx.)
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra 16GB + 512GB: 7499 yuan (USD 1066 / Rs. 95,845 approx.)
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra 16GB + 1TB: 8499 yuan (USD 1209 / Rs. 1,08,625 approx.)
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition 16GB + 512GB: 7999 yuan (USD 1,138 / Rs. 1,02,235 approx.)
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition 16GB + 1TB: 8999 yuan (USD 1280 / Rs. 1,15,015 approx.)
Both models will be available for purchase starting December 27th in China.