Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Leica Leitzphone unveiled: New camera flagship comes with revised sensor technology

Camera: new sensor architecture instead of more cameras

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra already used a 1-inch sensor (LYT-900) with 50 MP and 3,2 µm 4-in-1 Superpixels. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra retains the 50 MP resolution but switches to the new Light Fusion 1050L with LOFIC-HDR technology. This integrates additional capacitor structures into the sensor to increase the full-well capacity, which effectively provides more dynamic range in high-contrast situations.

The nominal focal length remains at 23 mm, as does the optical image stabilization. The telephoto setup, however, has been significantly changed. While the Xiaomi 15 Ultra offered a 200 MP periscope lens at 100 mm and an additional 70 mm floating telephoto lens, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra uses a 200 MP telephoto camera with a mechanical 75–100 mm zoom lens.

The native zoom range of 75 to 100 mm is covered without sensor cropping, which should enable greater detail, especially in portraits and at medium distances. An extended focal length of up to 400 mm (17,2x) remains available. The ultra-wide-angle camera remains at 50 MP with a 14 mm equivalent focal length.

In the video department, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra has been further enhanced, now adding 4K 120 fps Dolby Vision and 4K 120 fps Log with ACES color space for professional color correction workflows. Also new is the use of a Leica APO lens, which optically reduces chromatic aberrations, a feature previously reserved primarily for traditional cameras.

Design: Slim construction

Despite larger sensors and a still-large camera setup, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, at 8,29 mm, is significantly thinner than the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, which measured over 9,3 mm. The weight has also dropped from up to 229 g to around 218 g. The camera module has been moved slightly upwards, which should make the device more stable in the hand when taking photos.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra also features Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0 for the first time, which, according to the manufacturer, offers greater drop resistance than the second generation used in the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra will be available in black, white, and starlit green.

Display: HyperRGB instead of WQHD+

The display grows slightly to 6,9 inches, whereas the Xiaomi 15 Ultra used a 6,73-inch panel. The resolution drops moderately from WQHD+ (3200 × 1440) to 2608 × 1200 pixels, a compromise Xiaomi makes in favor of energy efficiency.

New is the so-called HyperRGB OLED panel with its own RGB subpixel layout, which, despite a lower resolution than its predecessor, is intended to deliver a comparable perceived sharpness. Peak brightness increases to 3.500 nits, while the adaptive refresh rate remains at 1-120 Hz (LTPO).

Battery and performance: More capacity, focus on efficiency

While the Xiaomi 15 Ultra was equipped with a 5.410 mAh battery, the capacity of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra increases to 6.000 mAh. This represents an increase of around 11 percent, despite a slimmer design. This is made possible by an advanced silicon-carbon technology with higher energy density and, according to Xiaomi, a 16 percent silicon content.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra still charges at 90W via cable. However, there are changes to wireless charging. Xiaomi has reduced the maximum power from 80W to 50W, presumably to reduce heat generation and improve long-term battery stability.

In terms of performance, Xiaomi is switching from the Snapdragon 8 Elite of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, manufactured using a 3nm process. The architecture remains in the high-end segment, but according to the manufacturer, it offers efficiency gains in CPU and GPU load, as well as a more powerful AI NPU for image processing and on-device AI functions.

In terms of storage, it remains with LPDDR5X RAM (16 GB) and optional UFS 4.1 (512 GB or 1 TB), thus retaining the fast standard of its predecessor. A clear performance leap is not to be expected here, but rather improved power management under sustained load, especially during 4K 120fps video recording or continuous shooting with the 1-inch sensor.

Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi

Alongside the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, Xiaomi and Leica are launching their first fully co-developed smartphone. Technically, the Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi is largely based on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and adopts its camera hardware, including the 1-inch sensor and 200 MP telephoto camera. The primary difference lies in the user interface and design approach.

The central element is a physical Leica Camera Ring, which performs functions similar to classic camera control dials. This is complemented by a customized Leica user interface and the new Leica Essential Mode, which simulates the image characteristics of historical cameras such as the Leica M9 or M3.

The casing also differs. A nickel-anodized aluminum construction and deliberately minimalist software design are more reminiscent of classic Leica cameras than typical Android flagships. Xiaomi is clearly positioning the Leitzphone as a niche model for photography enthusiasts, while the Xiaomi 17 Ultra remains the more broadly aimed premium flagship.

Overview of Xiaomi 17 Ultra specifications

Price and availability

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra launches in Germany at the following prices:

•  16 GB + 512 GB: 1.499,90 Euro
•  16 GB + 1 TB: 1.699,90 Euro

The Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi is available in black with 1 TB of storage for a suggested retail price of €1.999,90. It will be sold through the official Xiaomi and Leica sales channels. In Germany, Telekom will be the exclusive distributor. Sales are scheduled to begin on March 2nd in Telekom shops and online.

Source: Press release