BARCELONA—Xiaomi continues to churn out powerful, camera-centric flagship Android phones to ward off the competition. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra, its newest device, combines top specs with attractive hardware and that powerful Leica branding. It faces tough headwinds from the likes of Oppo and Honor in its home market of China, but still manages to impress. I tried out the 17 Ultra out in person at Mobile World Congress; here are my early thoughts.
Leica Sharp
Xiaomi has had a years-long partnership with German photography giant Leica. The two companies co-engineered aspects of the camera hardware and software. In particular, the camera features a Leica Summilux optical lens and Leica’s little red logo next to the camera module.
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The main camera has a 50MP Light Fusion 1050L sensor with LOFIC HDR tech. The Leica lens creates a 23mm-equivalent focal length with an aperture of f/1.67. Xiaomi says the 200MP zoom lens is also designed by Leica. It has a variable optical focal length of 75-100mm and ranges from f/2.29 to f/2.96. It doubles as a macro lens for close-up shots. The ultra-wide camera features a 50MP Samsung JN5 sensor, a 14mm-equivalent lens at f/2.2, and a 115-degree field of view. Last, the selfie camera has a similar 50MP sensor with an f/2.2 lens at a 21mm equivalent focal length.
The phone supports near-professional cinema tools. It records video at up to 8K30 and handles 4K60 in Dolby Vision. Or, you can choose Log video capture at 4K120 for the ultimate freedom to adjust color and playback speed in post-production.
I took a handful of sample shots and came away impressed by the sharp focus and vivid colors. If you prioritize mobile photography, the 17 Ultra is a great starting point.
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Xiaomi offers two kits: One includes a case and a lanyard, and the other adds a battery grip with shutter and video buttons, plus a jog dial for zoom.
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The grip fits snugly, has its own 2,000mAh battery, and features swappable shutter buttons so you can opt for the Leica red if you want. It makes the phone easy to hold and control when capturing content. It costs €199.
Is 3,500 Nits Enough for You?
Flagship phone makers have really been boosting brightness higher over the last few generations. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s 6.9-inch screen pushes out an impressive 3,500 nits—more than the 3,000 nits of recent flagships like the Pixel 10 Pro and Galaxy S26 Ultra. In person, it’s crazy bright and absolutely easy to use outdoors under the sun.
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The screen has a resolution of 2,608 by 1,200 pixels, supports 68 billion colors, and meets the DCI-P3 color gamut. It has a variable refresh rate that ranges from 1Hz to conserve power up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling. It’s also certified for Dolby Vision and HDR10+.
For protection, the screen is covered by Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0. It’s hard to compare just how tough smartphone glass is these days, as OEMs use a mix of their own designs and off-the-shelf products like Corning’s Gorilla Glass.
The display looks stunning in person. I was able to take it outdoors for a moment, and it easily outshone the Spanish sun.
A Spec Monster
If top specs are what draw you to smartphones, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra doesn’t disappoint. It sources top components across the board. Here’s what you get.
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Starting with the processor, it’s no surprise that Xiaomi opted for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 8, the current top chip on the market. The company says it has a redesigned vapor chamber inside to keep things running cool. It comes with 16GB of RAM and either 512GB or 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage. It has more base memory and storage than the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (12GB/256GB). This coupling gives the phone enough power to handle most anything, whether that’s AAA games or serious videography.
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The phone packs a massive 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery with support for 90W wired charging and 50W wireless charging through the company’s proprietary tech.
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It also includes an ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers with Hi-Res and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification, Dolby Atmos, Wi-Fi 7, and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.
After spending an hour with the phone, it’s clearly a performative beast. It handles demanding games and everyday social media apps with no issues.
A Gripping Design
One thing I noticed right away when I picked up the 17 Ultra was its light, smooth design. Xiaomi has been shipping rather blocky phones the last few years, and the 17 Ultra pares things back in just the right way. Significantly, the aluminum frame has a pleasing curve where it meets the glass, giving it a smooth feel in your hand. Xiaomi says the phone is 8.79mm (0.35 inches) thick, but that’s for the main chassis, not the massive camera module on the rear.
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The phone comes in three colors: Black, Starlit Green, and White. The rear panel is made of fiberglass, which is durable and provides grip for your fingers.
One thing Xiaomi didn’t talk a lot about? AI. The phone ships with Android 16 and the latest version of Xiaomi’s HyperAI OS, but the availability of AI tools is limited by region.
Xiaomi says the phone will go on sale soon for €1,499. A special Leica variant, which carries only Leica branding and comes in black, will cost €1,999.
A Lesser Phone and Two Tablets
Xiaomi didn’t stop at the 17 Ultra. It also announced the Xiaomi 17 phone and the Xiaomi Pad 8 and Pad 8 Pro tablets.
The Xiaomi 17 is also co-branded with Leica, but it dials back a few specs to reach a lower price point. It has a 6.3-inch screen that matches the 17 Ultra’s feature-for-feature, and it also carries the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, but it has 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. It has a slightly larger 6,330mAh battery that charges just a bit more rapidly at 100W when plugged in. Last, the camera is different. It drops the 200MP telephoto in favor of a quadruple 50MP camera system. The main, ultra-wide, telephoto, and front cameras all have 50MP sensors. The telephoto drops the 75-100mm focal range to 60mm. Leica developed the main lens, but the phone drops the Leica-made filters, UI, and lens simulations. The Xiaomi 17 costs €999.
The Pad 8 and Pad 8 Pro share almost all their features, other than the processor and camera. They have 11.2-inch 3K screens, with 144Hz refresh rates and 800 nits of brightness. The Pad 8 is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, and the Pad 8 Pro upgrades to the Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite. Both are offered with 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GBG, 256GB, or 512GB of storage. They have 9,200mAh batteries, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6. Where the Pad 8 has a 13MP main camera and an 8MP front camera, the Pad 8 Pro has a 50MP main camera and a 32MP front camera for sharper video calls.
The Pad 8 starts at €449, the Pad 8 Pro starts at €549, and a matte glass version of the Pad 8 Pro starts at €769.
About Our Expert
Eric Zeman
Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics
Experience
I’m PCMag’s managing editor for consumer electronics content, overseeing an experienced team of reviewers and product testers. I’ve been covering technology for about 25 years. Prior to PCMag, I worked at outlets such as Android Authority, Fortune, InformationWeek, and Phonescoop.
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