Xiaomi has officially unveiled the Xiaomi 17 Ultra for global markets at MWC 2026 in Barcelona, following its debut in China in December last year. The launch marks a major milestone in Xiaomi’s long-standing partnership with Leica, as the two companies move from a “Joint R&D” framework to a new Strategic Co-Creation Model, involving deeper collaboration from concept and optical design to final image tuning. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the first smartphone developed under this enhanced partnership. The smartphone was launched along with Xiaomi 17 AND Leica Leitzphone by Xiaomi.
For the first time in the Ultra line, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra adopts a flat screen design, moving away from curved panels. The phone features a 6.9-inch M10 LTPO OLED display with a 2K resolution, variable refresh rate of 1 – 120 Hz and maximum brightness of up to 3,500 nits. It supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, while Xiaomi’s new HyperRGB technology enables 2K-level clarity with lower power consumption than conventional 1.5K panels.
The device is just 8.29mm thick, making it the thinnest Xiaomi Ultra phone to date, and is available in black, white and star green color options. Ergonomic improvements include a micro-curved aluminum alloy frame, reduced camera module diameter and higher camera placement for improved balance. The phone also features dual stereo speakers enhanced with AI noise reduction and has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.
Photography is the defining feature of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. The phone uses a triple camera system designed to cover ultra-wide, wide and medium and long range zoom scenarios, all according to Leica’s UltraPure optical standards.
The main camera is a 1-inch ultra-dynamic Leica camera built on the Light Fusion 1050L sensor with LOFIC HDR technology, offering a native dynamic range of up to 14EV. Xiaomi says this sensor offers 6.3 times higher full-well capacity than the previous generation, significantly improving highlight control and shadow detail.
The highlight of the system is the Leica telephoto camera with 200MP optical zoom, covering a true optical focal range from 75mm to 100mm. It uses a complex prism-based design with independently moving lens groups, allowing native 200MP capture across the entire zoom range without digital cropping. The telephoto lens features Leica APO certification, achieved through a custom optical design that minimizes chromatic aberrations at the hardware level, making this the first Xiaomi flagship to sport Leica APO optics.
A Leica ultra-wide camera completes the setup, while the entire system uses a G+P lens array to reduce ghosting and improve stability in challenging lighting. On the front, the phone features a 50 MP camera capable of 4K 60 fps video recording.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is powered by the 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 mobile platform, paired with 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB UFS 4.1 storage. Thermal performance is handled by Xiaomi’s new 3D dual-channel IceLoop cooling system with an improved capillary structure, offering up to 50% higher thermal conductivity compared to the previous generation.
The phone packs a 6,000mAh battery with support for 90W wired fast charging, 50W wireless charging, PPS charging and reverse wireless charging. Connectivity options include 5G SA/NSA, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, support for satellite communication and USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2. Security features include an in-display 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and an infrared blaster.
Photography Suite and Photography Suite Pro
Xiaomi is also offering two dedicated camera grip accessories for the 17 Ultra. The standard Photography kit includes a 270 mAh battery with magnetic charging, a two-stage shutter button, a video button and a photo grip with a wrist strap.
Photography Kit Pro adds a larger 2,000 mAh battery, customizable dials, zoom lever, thumb support, filter adapter ring and USB Type-C connection, allowing it to function as a power bank with 90W HyperCharge support. Both sets are IP54 rated for dust and splash resistance.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is priced at €1,499 for the 16GB RAM + 512GB storage variant, while the 16GB RAM + 1TB Storage model costs €1,699 in Europe. The standard photography kit costs €99.99, and the Photography Kit Pro costs €199.99. The smartphone is already rolling out in several European markets and the company has confirmed that Xiaomi 17 Ultra will also launch in India on March 11, 2026.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra price and availability
- Price: €1,499 (16 GB RAM + 512 GB storage) €1,699 (16 GB RAM + 1 TB storage)
- Availability: Europe (varies by region)
