The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the camera-focused flagship of the Xiaomi 17 series. Xiaomi announced it in China on December 25, 2025, and sales there began on December 27. The global version followed on February 28, 2026, at an event in Barcelona. In Europe it starts at €1,499 for 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Xiaomi does not sell it officially in the US.
Design and display
The phone has a flat 6.9-inch Xiaomi HyperRGB OLED panel. Its resolution is 2608 x 1200 pixels. Its LTPO refresh rate moves between 1 and 120Hz, and Xiaomi rates peak brightness at 3,500 nits. The screen supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, and Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0 protects it.
The body measures 162.9 x 77.6 x 8.29 mm. It weighs 218.4 g in Black and White and 219 g in Starlit Green. An aluminum alloy frame holds a composite fiberglass back, and the phone carries an IP68 rating.
Performance
Inside is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, built on a 3nm process. Its two prime cores reach 4.6 GHz, and an Adreno 840 GPU handles graphics. Every global model has 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, with 512GB or 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage. There is no microSD slot. A dual-channel IceLoop system manages heat.
Cameras
The rear setup carries Leica branding and has three cameras. The main camera uses a 50MP 1-inch Light Fusion 1050L sensor with an f/1.67 lens and OIS. Next to it sits a 200MP periscope telephoto with a 1/1.4-inch sensor. Its mechanical zoom covers 75 to 100mm, which equals about 3.2x to 4.3x optical zoom. A 50MP 14mm ultrawide completes the set.
The phone records video at up to 8K 30fps, and 4K Dolby Vision at up to 120fps. Log recording also works up to 4K 120fps. On the front, a 50MP autofocus camera shoots 4K video at 60fps.
Battery and charging
The global model has a 6,000mAh Xiaomi Surge battery. The Chinese version uses a larger 6,800mAh cell instead. Wired charging reaches 90W, and wireless charging reaches 50W. The phone can also charge other devices at 22.5W through the cable and wirelessly as well. Xiaomi does not list a charger in the global box.
Software and updates
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra launched with Xiaomi HyperOS 3 based on Android 16. It includes Google Gemini, Circle to Search and Xiaomi HyperAI tools. In mid-2026, Xiaomi began rolling out Android 17 to the phone. Other features include an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, NFC, an IR blaster, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0.
China also gets a Leica Edition of this phone. Globally, that version is sold as a separate product named Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi.
Should you buy the Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra suits buyers who put cameras first. A 1-inch main sensor and a true optical zoom telephoto are rare in one phone. It also offers a big battery, fast wired and wireless charging, and a fast USB 3.2 port. However, the price is high, and the global battery is smaller than the Chinese one. US buyers can only get it through importers, so the official warranty may not apply there.
