Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition review

Introduction and specs

Xiaomi's top-end cameraphone, Xiaomi 17 Ultra, is now official and comes with improvements in pretty much every aspect. Some are modest, some are more notable. Still, upgrades even on flagship phones are not a given these days.

This year's Ultra comes in two flavors - standard Xiaomi 17 Ultra and a special edition - Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica. Yes, that's the official name, and we have it for review. It offers a few extra features and an exclusive design on top of the regular phone.

It's worth noting that we reviewed the Chinese version of the handset while we wait for the international variant.

Starting with the usual chipset upgrade, the new Ultra gets the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC and is built around a slightly brighter and bigger 6.9-inch OLED screen. Completely flat this time.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra specs at a glance:

• Body: 162.9x77.6x8.5mm, 230g; Glass front, fiber-reinforced plastic back/silicone polymer back (eco leather), aluminum frame; IP68/IP69 dust-tight and water resistant (high-pressure water jets; immersible up to 6m for 30 min), Aerospace-grade glass fiber.
• Display: 6.90" LTPO AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid, HDR10+, 3500 nits (peak), 1200x2608px resolution, 19.56:9 aspect ratio, 416ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm): Octa-core (2x4.6 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M); Adreno 840.
• Memory: 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM; UFS 4.1.
• OS/Software: Android 16, HyperOS 3.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.7, 23mm, 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 200 MP, f/2.4-3.0, 75-100mm, 1/1.4", 0.56µm, multi-directional PDAF (30cm - ∞), OIS, 3.2-4.3x continuous optical zoom, zoom ring; Ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 115˚, 1/2.76", 0.64µm, dual pixel PDAF; Depth: TOF 3D.
• Front camera: 50 MP, (wide), 1/2.88", 0.61µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/480/960/1920fps, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit rec. (4K@60fps, 1080p); Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 6800mAh; 90W wired, 90W PPS, PD3.0, QC3+, 50W wireless, 22.5W reverse wired, 10W reverse wireless.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC 5, MIHC; NFC; Infrared port.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); stereo speakers; Two-way satellite communication.

The camera system is simplified, but it's just as versatile as ever. The main unit retains the 50MP 1-inch type sensor while the 200MP telephoto cam gains continuous optical zoom from 3.2 to 4.3x with a closer focusing distance. That way, you don't really need that second 3x telephoto camera that the last few Ultras had.

Moreover, the dated 32MP selfie cam is replaced with a 50MP one, with autofocus.

The battery department receives some love too by getting a 6,800 mAh cell, a sizeable increase over the previous generation.

On top of all the upgrades and new features, the special "Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica" edition adds a dual-tone design inspired by the Leica M-series cameras with a knurling pattern on the side frame, improving grip and feel. It also adds Leica Moment modes, a dedicated chip for security and encryption, as well as dual-satellite communication.

Unboxing the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica we received came in a special big box containing some extra goodies in addition to the standard USB-A to USB-C braided cable and a compatible charger. Interestingly, the charging brick we got is 100W, even though the phone's rated by Xiaomi to only go as high as 90W.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica retail box content

The retail package for the Leica edition also contains a magnetic case, a lens cap, a red lanyard and a cleaning cloth.