Xiaomi today officially unveiled Xiaomi 17 Ultra on its new product launch event held in Beijing, alongside wearable offerings such as Xiaomi Watch 5 Series and Xiaomi Buds 6. The launch event also introduced a series of smart home appliances such as Xiaomi Smart Home Screen 11, Mijia Diffused Ceiling Light, and Mijia Central Air Conditioner Dual Fan Pro.
At the launch event, Xiaomi also announced the upgrade of the Global Imaging Strategic Cooperation between Xiaomi and Leica. Building upon the highly productive “Joint R&D” foundation, the two parties are introducing a new “Strategic Co-creation Model”, with Xiaomi 17 Ultra being the first product born from this new collaborative framework. The “Strategic Co-creation Model” is the result of a close and multi-level collaboration, aiming to break conventional thinking and application limitations in mobile imaging by engaging in deep co-creation from the product’s inception. This approach integrates Leica’s century-old expertise in professional optics, aesthetic philosophy, and interaction principles from camera manufacturing to thoroughly reinvent the mobile imaging experience.
Refined Elegance in an Ultra-Slim Form
Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the first model in the Ultra line to feature a flat display, while continuing the overall design language of Xiaomi 17 Series. The ultra-thin bezel display and clean, linear form give the device a more streamlined appearance. With a thickness of 8.29mm, it is the thinnest Ultra model Xiaomi has released to date. Design refinements, including a micro-curved aluminum alloy frame, greater body curves, a reduced camera deco diameter, and a higher camera module placement, all contribute to improved ergonomics and a more balanced in-hand feel.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra is available in four color options, including White, Black, Purple, and Green. For photography enthusiasts, Xiaomi introduces two updated sets of photography kits. Both feature a redesigned ergonomic form factor for improved handling and now support magnetic attachment. For daily usage, Xiaomi also launches an ultra-thin composite fiber case, designed to preserve a case-less feel.
The two cameras are displayed side by side, with the left one featuring a black design that has prominent grips and control buttons, while the right one has a light purple design with a simpler appearance. Both are equipped with notable lenses marked with “LEICA.”
Setting New Standards in Mobile Optical Performance
Xiaomi 17 Ultra is equipped with a triple-camera system consisting of a 14mm ultra-wide lens, a 23mm Leica 1-inch ultra dynamic camera, and a Leica 200MP 75-100mm optical zoom telephoto camera, designed to cover a wide range of shooting scenarios, including landscape, portrait, and street photography. Improvements in optical design and image processing enable cleaner and more accurate night photography, supporting more consistent results in low-light environments.
The Leica 1-inch ultra dynamic camera is built on a Light Fusion 1050L sensor that incorporates LOFIC HDR technology, delivering a full well capacity 6.3× greater than the previous generation 1-inch sensor. This allows for improved highlight control and shadow detail in high-contrast scenes, including backlit and night environments.
The image shows the internal structure of a smartphone, clearly displaying its components, including the camera, speaker, and other electronic parts, with a transparent effect against a black background.
The Leica 200MP 75-100mm telephoto camera adopts three precisely matched lens groups and a prism, addressing traditional limitations in mid-to-long focal length image quality. Its second and third lens groups can move independently to adjust focal length and focus, enabling optical zoom across the 75-100mm equivalent range. Throughout this range, Xiaomi 17 Ultra fully utilizes its 1/1.4″ large telephoto sensor and supports native 200MP image quality without digital cropping.
This telephoto features a Leica APO optical lens design, using 3 custom glass material lenses to reduce chromatic aberration at the hardware level. This design ensures that all colors converge at the same point of focus, eliminating color fringing and delivering sharper, more accurate images. The lens significantly reduces purple and green fringing, even in high-contrast telephoto images. The exceptional optical quality of this lens also makes Xiaomi 17 Ultra the first Xiaomi flagship to receive Leica APO certification.
Across the entire camera system, Xiaomi 17 Ultra features a Leica UltraPure optical design with G+P lens group, significantly minimizing linear arc ghosting and contributing to more stable and consistent image quality in challenging lighting conditions.
Flagship Experiences in Every Aspect
As Xiaomi’s flagship model, Xiaomi 17 Ultra delivers premium and exceptional capabilities in multiple perspectives. In terms of performance, Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform features an improved CPU structure and an Adreno 840 with ultra-large graphics cache, ensuring smooth handling of complex tasks. Empowered by Xiaomi 3D Dual-Channel IceLoop System and a new capillary structure, Xiaomi 17 Ultra achieves a 50% improvement in thermal conductivity compared to the previous generation.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra is equipped with a state-of-the-art display to ensure professional-level experience, featuring 120Hz LTPO refresh rate and 3500 nits peak brightness. Xiaomi HyperRGB significantly enhances screen power efficiency — with the clarity matching 2K displays with a power consumption lower than typical 1.5K displays, balancing display quality and battery life. Backed by the latest Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0, the screen’s drop resistance is up to 20 times that of ordinary strengthened glass.
Featuring the latest Xiaomi Surge Battery, Xiaomi 17 Ultra perfectly balances a slim body with an ultra-large battery, with a massive 6800mAh battery packed into the thinnest Xiaomi Ultra body ever, without compromising 90W wired HyperCharge, 50W wireless HyperCharge, and 90W universal PD PPS charging.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra further supports a total of 51 4G and 5G bands, covering roaming networks in up to 210 countries, ensuring seamless connectivity even during cross-border trips. The integration of UWB technology enables the device the function of a digital car key, as it could automatically unlock the car as people approach, and lock when they leave. It’s currently compatible with Xiaomi YU7, as well as certain models from XPeng, allowing more car owners to enjoy a seamless experience.
The internal structure of the mobile phone is displayed, including the black circuit board and camera module, highlighting the layout of the camera and other components.
For more solid sound performance, Xiaomi 17 Ultra applies upgraded dual stereo speakers with brand-new AI noise reduction to deliver excellent noise suppression and crystal quality for two-way calls. Additionally, IP66, IP68, and IP69 certification ensures adequate water and dust resistance, allowing worry-free usage under complex environments.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra comes pre-installed with Xiaomi HyperOS 3, elevating cross-ecosystem connectivity to new heights. It supports iPhone Home screen+ and comprehensive support across Apple devices, delivering a consistent mirroring experience. If you are a dual-Xiaomi phone user, the “two-in-one” connectivity offers more flexibility — supporting two-way Mirror Desktop, enabling mutual mirroring and control between two devices.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica: A Tribute to Masterful Image Creators
As the inaugural flagship of Xiaomi and Leica’s upgraded strategic partnership, Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica transcends a single product. It stands as the realized expression of the Strategic Co-creation Model, uniting concept, design, and technology through deep, end-to-end collaboration.
The two cameras are displayed side by side at the back, with the left one in black and the right one in beige. Both cameras are equipped with a circular lens module, which is labeled “LEICA Vario-Apo-Summilux.” The background is black, highlighting the design of the devices.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica was designed with direct involvement from the original Leica team, and inspired by the classic Leica M-series cameras. The back panel features a dual-tone design, where the textured leather complements a matte finish. The meticulously knurled middle frame, engraved with “LEICA CAMERA GERMANY,” provides an exceptional anti-slip grip. For the first time, the prestigious Leica red dot badge graces the body, embodying the most iconic imaging design as well as certifying its imaging prowess.
The exclusive Leica Camera Ring inherits the classic operational logic of cameras and reimagines in a new form for the smartphone, with the embedded 20 high-strength ball bearings adding an extra smooth tactile feel. It all fosters an immersive, intuitive interaction on focus, allowing the capture of every extraordinary moment in a state of creative flow. An internal optical displacement sensor detects movement as minute as 0.03mm, enabling precise focus adjustment with the ring. A dedicated sealing design ensures the device maintains its IP66 / IP68 / IP69 dust and water resistance ratings.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica features the exclusive Leica Essential mode, which uses innovative technical approaches to recreate the legendary image qualities of two iconic Leica cameras within a phone. For the Leica M9 style, Xiaomi trained a “RAW-to-RGB” Style Transfer model based on hundreds of thousands of photos captured by actual Leica M9 cameras. The Leica M3 style digitally models the color response, tonality, and grain of Leica MONOPAN 50 film, producing authentic black-and-white film-like images beyond what ordinary filters can achieve.
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