Xiaomi 17 Ultra (Global) review

Global Xiaomi 17 Ultra is just as great

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra in this global form follows up the Chinese version we had for review some time earlier. There are no real differences in the camera hardware, other than the fact that we previously had the 'by Leica' variant which comes with a rotating ring around the camera island. Either way, it's the same setup, headlined by a 1.0" type main sensor on the back, joined by a continuous zoom telephoto, and a fairly more unremarkable, plus there's a new selfie camera for this generation.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra: regular Global one (left) and Chinese 'by Leica' version

Don't miss our hands-on with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Photography Kit and Photography Kit Pro.

Starting with the main camera on the back, the 17 Ultra gets to keep the 1.0" type sensor - most other makers have been going smaller, but not Xiaomi. It's not the same sensor as in the 15 Ultra - for this generation, it's the Light Fusion 1050L (which is reported as OmniVision OVX10500 in hardware apps), replacing the previously used Sony 1-inch imager. The basics are the same though, so it's still got a 50MP nominal resolution and a stabilized 23mm-equivalent lens.

Xiaomi's moved from the two-telephoto solution on the previous model to a single one, but one that covers both of the old ones' focal lengths, and all the others inbetween - it's got continuous coverage in the 75mm to 100mm range. It's not a huge range, no, but it's certainly more versatile than having only one of the focal lengths.

It's apparently a new version of the Samsung 200MP 1/1.4" sensor that's behind that most impressive periscope - the HPE moniker that is being reported doesn't return any Samsung product info so it must be a version customized for Xiaomi. Still, you get that sensor at 4.3x zoom, as before, but also at 3.2x, where the old model had a measly 1/2.51" sensor - not a bad development. Close focusing has suffered though - a not insignificant price to pay, though there may be workarounds for macro-style shooters.

The ultrawide camera is seemingly unchanged - both the sensor and the lens specs are the same as on the 15 Ultra.

Over on the front, there's another improvement compared to last year's model - a 50MP selfie camera has replaced the 32MP unit we've been getting on all too many Xiaomis. The new module also has AF capability, a long overdue development.

• Wide (main): 50MP OmniVision OVX10500 (1.0", 1.6µm-3.2µm); 23mm, f/1.67, OIS, multi-directional PDAF (14cm - ∞); 8K30/4K120 video recording.
• Telephoto: 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HPE (S5KHPE, 1/1.4", 0.56µm-2.24µm); 75-100mm, f/2.39-2.96, OIS, PDAF (26cm - ∞); 8K30/4K120.
• Ultrawide: 50MP Samsung ISOCELL JN5 (S5KJN5, 1/2.76", 0.64µm-1.28µm); 14mm, f/2.2, multi-directional PDAF; 4K60.
• Front camera: 50MP OmniVision OV50M (1/2.88", 0.61µm-1.22µm); 21mm, f/2.2, AF; 4K60.

In China, the 17 Ultra comes in two versions that differ somewhat in their design and, to a small extent, in their functionality. There's a regular one like the one we have today, and there's the one that's called 'Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica' - that's the one we reviewed a while back. The model available in global markets is the regular 17 Ultra mentioned above. Still, a global Leica version may be in the cards too, but teasers suggest that one will be released and distributed by Leica themselves under the Leitz Phone branding, which they curiously already use in the Japanese market (Leitz Phone 3, anyone?).

So maybe you'll be able to enjoy the rotating camera ring and the two exclusive camera simulation modes without having to live with a gray import and Chinese software. We'll see how it plays out. The 'regular' Xiaomi 17 Ultra we have here has served us just fine with no camera ring or Leica M9 simulation (and slightly different interface styling).

Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica (right) has two Leica camera simulation modes

When we received the global version of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, we did some extensive side-by-side testing with the China-bound Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica we had previously reviewed. After poring over hundreds of images, we couldn't spot a meaningful pattern of difference between the results of both phones - in fact, the photos and videos are essentially identical. Consequently, joining the new samples here will be a re-post of the comments we published in that original review's camera section. You can (and you should) read the original review and look at those samples as well as these here - you'll get another look at the same scenes as shot in different conditions, plus there's some extra modes and zoom levels we shot then that we skipped now (200MP, inbetween optical zoom levels, as well as 400mm digital zoom). Below, you'll find exclusively photos and videos taken on the global version of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.

Daylight photo quality

Main camera

The main camera of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is quite probably the best of its kind. It captures excellent detail and renders it with a nice crispiness that still looks natural. There's no noise to speak of either, of course. The auto white balance is consistently on point and colors are vibrant, yet 'photographic' as opposed to cartoonish.

Dynamic range is very wide, which is normally a great thing. In this case, and we observed it to some extent on all of the Ultra's cameras, there's a bit of a tendency in some contrastier scenes to flatten the image. That's the closest to being an issue that we can think of, and while we would appreciate a bit more contrast on those occasions, we wouldn't really call it a problem.

Daylight samples, main camera (1x)

People shots are looking great too. Skin tones are neutral and facial detail is rendered well. There's a decent amount of subject separation from the lens, but you can opt for the Portrait mode's added background blur.

Human subjects, main camera (1x): Photo mode • Portrait mode

The main camera's nominal 50MP resolution isn't just for the specsheet - the full-res images can actually be good, provided you have plenty of light in the scene (and not too much contrast).

Daylight samples, main camera (1x), 50MP

With that in mind, it shouldn't be a surprise that 2x zoom shots are also excellent. Even in situations where the 1x 50MP photos weren't too hot, the 12.5MP 2x zoom images are nicely sharp and detailed. Even random detail has a natural rendition.

Daylight samples, main camera (2x)

Portraits at 2x zoom are every bit as detailed as those shot at the camera's native focal length. As usual, the perspective is better for head-and-shoulders framing at this zoom level than at 1x.

Human subjects, main camera (2x): Photo mode • Portrait mode

Telephoto camera

The shorter end of the new continuous zoom telephoto replaces the older 3x camera and we'd say it does it effortlessly - you won't be missing the previous solution outside of very specific closeup scenarios. The telephoto camera has superb detail, excellent dynamic range, and great colors.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (3.2x)

The 75mm focal length is well suited for portraits too. The images have excellent detail and skin tones, alongside nice optical-level background blur that renders Portrait mode more or less unnecessary.

Human subjects, main camera (3.2x): Photo mode • Portrait mode

The 50MP shots are top notch too - in outdoor scenes in particular you can extract some meaningful extra detail in foliage or other random textures. Justifying the 200MP mode's file sizes will be more difficult though - while not exactly soft, these images don't necessarily bring any detail on top of the 50MP ones.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (3.2x), 50MP

At the long end of the optical zoom range, we get 4.3x 100mm equivalent shots that are just as good as the 3.2x ones.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (4.3x)

Similarly, the 100mm portraits are as good as the 75mm ones, but this end of the zoom range is better suited to tighter framing and situations where some extra compression is desired.

Human subjects, main camera (4.3x): Photo mode • Portrait mode

Here is a quick comparison between the two extreme ends of the telephoto range and the inbetween presets. You may also notice that the aperture closes down a bit as you zoom in - it goes from f/2.39 to f/2.96 at the far end.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera: 3.2x • 3.7x • 3.9x • 4.2x

For completeness sake, here's a set of 50MP photos at the 4.3x zoom level, but don't expect to find anything new there - 50MP is great.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (4.3x), 50MP

Moving on to some digital zoom at 8.6x (or is that 'in-sensor lossless zoom'?). You can expect solid 12.5MP images - these are essentially the same on a pixel level as the 50MP 4.3x shots, but potentially with better tuned exposures.

It's worth pointing out that the 17 Ultra is meaningfully better at this level than the 15 Ultra - the new model also has an advantage at 4.3x, but it's a little less pronounced there.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (8.6x)

Ultrawide camera

Going from 200mm to 14mm, we're looking at photos from the 17 Ultra's ultrawide camera. The ubiquitous JN5 sensor punches above its weight here, maybe thanks to a pairing with an unusually good lens, but either way the ultrawide photos are sharper than what we'd expect from this sort of hardware. Colors and dynamic range are excellent too.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (0.6x)

The full-res shots are noticeably softer, and if you were to resize them to 12.5MP, you'd get worse results than the ones above.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (0.6x), 50MP

Close-ups

One potential drawback to the single-tele approach of this year's model vs. the 15 Ultra's setup is that the 17 Ultra's telephoto can only focus as close to 26cm (weirdly enough, that goes up to 30cm in Pro mode), whether at 3.2x or at 4.3x. In contrast, the 15 Ultra's shorter tele could focus as close as 9cm away from its lens. So technically, the old model would have been a better option for 'macro' shooting.

The thing is, though, that the 17 Ultra's telephoto might just be getting better results at 8.6x zoom at 26cm than the old one could at 3x zoom with subjects 9cm away. Also, the 2x performance of the main camera is good enough to make it another viable option for closeups. Of course, even closer focusing on the telephoto would be greatly appreciated.

Close-up samples, main camera (2x)

Close-up samples, telephoto camera (3.2x)

Close-up samples, telephoto camera (4.3x)

Close-up samples, telephoto camera (8.6x)

Selfies

Another major development this year is the selfie camera, which has now been upgraded to use a 50MP sensor (up from 32MP) and also, finally, gets autofocus. Indeed, it generally produces very good photos and is particularly adept at closeups - it actually shines there.

Still, this camera doesn't do so hot in harsh sunlight or dim lighting (we're talking daytime indoor shots, not low-light photos), so while it is a step up, it still leaves room for improvement.

Selfie samples

Low-light photo quality

Main camera

In the dark, the main camera is about as good as you can get today. The shots are sharp and detail, with no obvious night mode softening/oversharpening action - clear lines,no noise, texture where there should be texture. Dynamic range is excellent and exposures are well balanced, the white balance is spot-on and color rendition is great.

As for that red pretend-neon sign, it appears too heavily restored and it could have been left to overexpose a little with a more contrasty rendition, but that's about as niche as a complaint as it gets.

Low-light samples, main camera (1x)

The 17 Ultra is actually remarkably good at 2x as well - in takes its daytime 2x excellence into the night in a way that we haven't seen others do, neither the recent Pros, nor the latest batch of Ultras. Top stuff.

Low-light samples, main camera (2x)

Telephoto camera

The telephoto won't be letting you down either. Again, you can count on excellent dynamic range with well preserved highlights and very good shadow development, with top-class detail in the well-lit areas (and somewhat selectively softer shadows). Colors are great too, of course.

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (3.2x)

Things are more or less identical at 4.3x, though there might be a little bit of added softness in the shadows, just maybe.

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (4.3x)

Again, a couple of scenes with the inbetween zoom levels to illustrate there'e not much difference.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera: 3.2x • 3.7x • 3.9x • 4.2x

The 8.6x zoom level remains usable - perhaps even good, depending on the specific scene's lighting and the intended use. Well lit facades remain well developed and still have good detail but darker areas can be a little mushy.

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (8.6x)

Ultrawide camera

The ultrawide camera's low-light photos aren't quite as exciting as its daylight results, but things aren't half bad either. Sharpness is good, about on par with recent Oppo and vivo Pro efforts, but their respective Ultras are superior (the soon to be replaced ones, not the upcoming ones - might be obvious but it doesn't hurt pointing it out). Colors and dynamic range give no grounds for complaint, though.

Low-light samples, ultrawide camera (0.6x)

Video quality

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra can record video up to 8K30 with all of its rear cameras. When it comes to 4K, you get up to 120fps on the main camera and the telephoto, while the ultrawide maxes out at 60fps. The selfie camera's top mode is 4K60 too.

The usual selection of h.264 and h.265 codecs is available. Dolby Vision capture is also available for all quality settings on all cameras, except for the 8K resolution modes.

There's a motion tracking AF toggle in settings (can be automatic or double-tap-to-acquire, up to 4K30 and no Dolby Vision), and there's a spatial audio capture capability. Sure enough, there's always-on regular video stabilization, and then there's a 'ShootSteady' mode up to 2.8K30.

A Pro video mode is also part of the feature set. It's got manual exposure controls, LOG recording with LUT support (4 preloaded ones and an import capability), a tiny waveform, focus peaking, and zebras. There's still no 24fps mode anywhere to be found, though.

You can check out the playlist below, which includes multiple video samples.

Daylight videos from the Xiaomi's rear cameras are very good altogether. The three cameras are well matched and produce great dynamic range and accurate colors in video. It's the sharpness that's a notch below ideal, on all three modules - not that it's bad, it's just not spectacular. Also, while stills at the 'made-up' zoom levels (2x and 8.6x) are very high quality, videos aren't quite on the same level (which is to be expected, really).

Xiaomi 17 Ultra, video screengrabs, daylight: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 3.2x • 4.3x • 8.6x

In the dark, the 17 Ultra's main camera is doing well at 1x, though we would have expected more from its 1.0" type sensor - the Find X9 Pro, for example, has a minor edge in sharpness. The ultrawide is somewhat better in its own context, though it too is bested by the same Oppo. The telephoto is in a similar situation - solid, but not class-leading. The main and telephoto cameras manage to maintain color consistency and we'd say they're more accurate in their rendition, while the ultrawide is a little off. Dynamic range on the ultrawide is also a notch below that of the other cameras.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra, video screengrabs, low light: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 3.2x • 4.3x • 8.6x

The always-on video stabilization is superb on the ultrawide (which shouldn't be too hard to achieve), but also pretty great on the telephoto (which is more of a feat) - footage from a standing position is well stabilized and pans are smooth and trouble-free. It's the main camera's stabilization that doesn't quite match the 17 Ultra's stature - its clips are shakier than they should be, whether you shoot them from standstill or when walking.