Xiaomi 17 Ultra goes global · A 75–100 mm zooming telephoto and a 1‑inch sensor for €1,499

• 200 MP Leica telephoto with true mechanical optical zoom across 75–100 mm: lens groups physically move, the output stays a native 200 MP over the whole range, and a sensor crop reaches a 400 mm (17.2×) equivalent
• First Leica APO-certified Xiaomi flagship, with 3 custom glass elements that fight color fringing
• First 1-inch sensor with LOFIC HDR (Light Fusion 1050L): 6.3× the full-well capacity of the previous 1-inch generation, and the first one-inch LOFIC on any phone (the Motorola Razr Ultra uses LOFIC too, but on a smaller 1/1.56″ sensor)
• Thinnest and lightest Xiaomi Ultra yet – 8.29 mm, 218.4 g, all-flat body
• IP68 tested to 6 m depth, four times deeper than the 1.5 m rating every other phone settles for
• Xiaomi Surge Battery with 16 % silicon – 6,000 mAh, 90 W wired, 50 W wireless, and the full 90 W also runs over universal PD-PPS
• Xiaomi HyperRGB OLED debut – 2K-class clarity at lower power than typical 1.5K panels, 3,500 nits peak
• Dolby Vision and ACES Log at 4K 120 fps on both the main and telephoto cameras

Xiaomi unveiled the 17 Ultra in China on December 25, 2025 and brought it to the global stage in Barcelona on February 28, 2026, on the eve of MWC. The launch doubled as a statement about the Leica partnership: the two companies upgraded their joint R&D into a "Strategic Co-creation Model", and the 17 Ultra is its first product.

The same event produced a curiosity we rarely see: the Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi (€1,999), a Leica-designed sibling with a knurled Camera Ring dial, built for the brand's 100th anniversary and the first Leitzphone ever sold outside Japan. For most buyers, though, the story is the 17 Ultra itself: alongside the OPPO Find X9 Ultra and vivo X300 Ultra it has one of the most aggressive cameras of 2026 (each strong in its own way: Xiaomi on the 1-inch sensor, vivo on its ZEISS lenses), at a price Xiaomi pointedly refused to raise.

Ultras used to be the bulky members of Xiaomi's family. This one measures 162.9 × 77.6 × 8.29 mm and 218.4 g (219 g in Starlit Green), the thinnest and lightest Xiaomi Ultra to date, with an all-flat body, a micro-curved aluminum alloy frame, a high-strength fiberglass back and a visibly smaller, higher-placed camera circle than last year.

Durability got real numbers too. Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0 is rated for 30 % better drop resistance than the 15 Ultra's glass, and the IP68 rating was tested at 6 metres of fresh water for 30 minutes, where most flagships certify only 1.5 m. That is a spec worth celebrating: a far deeper water rating than the usual 1.5 m, and it turns a checkbox into genuine peace of mind around water. One regional difference: the Chinese version additionally carries IP66 and IP69 certification for high-pressure jets.

Global colors are White, Black and Starlit Green, a sparkling deep green that is clearly the launch hero. China keeps a fourth, Purple, for itself. The large circular island is centred on the back, so the phone lies flat on a table and does not wobble when you type on it.

The 6.9-inch panel debuts Xiaomi HyperRGB, a redesigned OLED subpixel layout on the custom M10 panel. Xiaomi's claim is specific: clarity matching 2K displays at power consumption below a typical 1.5K panel. The nominal resolution is 2608 × 1200 with 12-bit color, a 1–120 Hz LTPO refresh rate and 3,500 nits multi-scenario peak brightness.

Eye comfort is handled by DC dimming rather than high-frequency PWM, with TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free, Low Blue Light (hardware) and Circadian Friendly certifications. HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are both on board, and the front is protected by the same Shield Glass 3.0 as the body.

Like every 2026 flagship worth the name, the 17 Ultra runs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm, 2 × 4.6 GHz prime cores, Adreno 840). Xiaomi pairs it exclusively with 16 GB of LPDDR5X and 512 GB or 1 TB of UFS 4.1 storage in global trims, and China alone gets a cheaper 12 GB base model.

Cooling comes from the Xiaomi 3D Dual-Channel IceLoop system, whose new capillary structure improves thermal conductivity by 50 % over the previous generation. That matters precisely because long 4K 120 fps recording sessions are this phone's defining trick.

The Xiaomi Surge Battery uses an industry-leading 16 % silicon content for its density, fitting 6,000 mAh into that 8.29 mm body. Charging is 90 W wired and 50 W wireless HyperCharge, and, unusually and very commendably, the full 90 W also works over standard PD-PPS, so almost any modern USB-C charger reaches top speed instead of locking you to one proprietary brick. It also gives back: 10 W reverse wireless tops up earbuds or a watch laid on the back, with 22.5 W reverse wired for accessories.

Two honest caveats temper the cell itself. At 6,000 mAh it is one of the smaller batteries among the current camera flagships: the OPPO Find X9 Ultra packs 7,050 mAh and the vivo X300 Ultra 6,600 mAh. And there is a regional difference to know about: Chinese units pack 6,800 mAh, 800 mAh more than global ones. The industry's usual explanation is air-freight law, since lithium cells above certain energy limits count as dangerous goods and need extra per-market certification, so brands ship a more conservative cell outside China. No manufacturer, Xiaomi included, has confirmed that on the record.

The rear system is one Leica-branded lens assembly: VARIO-APO-SUMMILUX 1:1.67–2.9 / 14–100 ASPH. Three cameras cover 14 mm to 100 mm, and what sits at the long end is unlike anything else in 2026.

The 200 MP Leica telephoto zooms optically and mechanically from 75 to 100 mm – its second and third lens groups physically move to change focal length, like a real zoom lens, so framing a tight head-and-shoulders portrait or pulling back to a half-body shot keeps the full 200 MP of the 1/1.4″ sensor native across the whole range, with no crop tricks. A sensor crop then extends reach to a 400 mm (17.2×) equivalent, far enough to fill the frame with a stage performer or a distant building. The optics earned Xiaomi's first Leica APO certification, with three custom glass elements that converge every color at the same focal point to kill the purple and green fringing you otherwise see along high-contrast edges.

It is worth being precise about the reach: the OPPO Find X9 Ultra has a true 10× periscope at roughly 230 mm, so in pure optical terms it reaches further than the Xiaomi's 75–100 mm glass. What Xiaomi owns instead is the only continuously, mechanically zooming 200 MP telephoto, paired with the first 1-inch LOFIC main camera. That combination, not the longest reach, is its distinction.

The main camera is Xiaomi's first 1-inch LOFIC sensor, the Light Fusion 1050L at 23 mm, f/1.67 with OIS. A 1-inch sensor this large with an f/1.67 aperture gathers more light, so photos stay cleaner once the sun is down. LOFIC's capacitor technology gives it 6.3× the full-well capacity of the previous 1-inch generation, so each pixel holds far more light before it maxes out and the camera captures highlights that don't clip and shadows that keep detail in brutal backlight and night scenes. Rounding out the set are a 50 MP ultra-wide (14 mm, 115°), wide enough to fit a whole room or a tall facade into the shot, and a sharp 50 MP autofocus selfie camera that keeps your face crisp whether the phone is at arm's length or further back on a stick.

Video may be the boldest part of the package: Dolby Vision or ACES Log recording at up to 4K 120 fps on both the main and the telephoto camera – ACES Log keeps the maximum color and dynamic range for grading later, the way film productions work – plus 8K at 30 fps, and slow motion up to 1,920 fps that stretches a split second into smooth, drawn-out footage. For enthusiasts, the Photography Kit (€99.99) adds a grip, wrist strap and two-stage shutter, while the Kit Pro (€199.99) brings a Leica-style PU leather grip with a built-in 2,000 mAh battery.

The 17 Ultra ships with Xiaomi HyperOS 3 and the HyperAI suite, including AI Writing, AI Interpreter, AI Search and an AI Creativity Assistant, plus Google's Gemini and Circle to Search baked in. Buyers in eligible markets get a generous starter pack: 3 months of Google AI Pro with 2 TB of cloud storage, 3 months of YouTube Premium and 4 months of Spotify Premium at no cost.

The quietly impressive part is Xiaomi HyperConnect – file sharing and a Multicam setup across devices, plus cross-ecosystem features that explicitly include Apple hardware, up to mirroring support aimed at iPhone and Mac users. Xiaomi clearly wants switchers, not just upgraders. One omission worth noting: the official spec sheet lists no OS-update commitment, an area where Samsung's seven-year pledge sets the standard.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra sells globally in 16 GB + 512 GB and 16 GB + 1 TB configurations, starting at €1,499 (≈ $1,750 before local taxes), exactly where the 15 Ultra launched a year earlier, which in a year of rising memory prices counts as a statement. It also undercuts the camera flagships closest to its ambition: the vivo X300 Ultra opens at €1,999 and the OPPO Find X9 Ultra at roughly €1,749, so the 17 Ultra is the cheapest of the three by several hundred euros.

China, as usual, keeps a little extra for itself: a cheaper 12 GB + 512 GB base trim at ¥6,999 (≈ €850 / $980 before taxes), the Purple colorway, and the 6,800 mAh battery. The Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi costs €1,999 in black with 1 TB. There is no official US availability, since Xiaomi still does not sell phones in the United States.

We will update this article if official prices shift or new markets come online.