Xiaomi just introduced the Xiaomi 17 Ultra smartphone for the global markets at the MWC 2026, after it was introduced in China in December last year.
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 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. Upgraded dual stereo speakers with AI noise reduction ensure clear audio for calls and media. The device is rated IP68 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, Connectivity and battery
Under the hood, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform with 16GB of RAM. There is Xiaomi 3D Dual-Channel IceLoop System and a new capillary structure, a 50% improvement in thermal conductivity compared to the previous generation.
It houses a 6000mAh battery, supporting 90W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. There is also PPS charging support.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra Photography Kit and Photography Kit Pro
This time, the company offers smaller Photography Kit and bigger Photography Kit Pro options. The Photography Kit has a 270mAh battery with Magnetic contact charging, Two-stage shutter and Video button. There is Photographic grip (includes hand strap) and Magnetic charging cable.
The Photography Kit Pro has Two-stage trigger, Video button, Customizable dial, Zoom lever and Thumb support. It features Versatile filter adapter ring, and a bigger 2000 mAh battery. Connected via USB Type-C, the grip can also be used as a power bank and supports 90W wired HyperCharge. Both these have IP54 ratings for dust and splash resistance.
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
- 16GB LPPDDR5x RAM with 512GB / 1TB UFS 4.1 storage
- Dual SIM (nano + nano)
- Android 16 with 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: 218.4 g (Black and White) / 219 g (Starlit Green)
- Dust and waterproof (IP68 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
- 6000mAh (Typical) battery with 90W wired fast charging, 50W wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
Pricing and Availability
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra comes in Black, White and Starlit Green colours and is priced at 1,499.99 Euros (USD 1772 / Rs. 1,61,240 approx.) for the 16GB + 512GB version and the 16GB + 1TB version costs 1.699.99 (USD 2,005 / Rs. 1,82,740 approx.).
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Photography Kit costs 99.99 Euros (USD 118 / Rs. 10,745 approx.) and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Photography Kit Pro costs 199.99 Euros (USD 236 / Rs. 21,495 approx.). It is already rolling out in several countries in Europe.