Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition review | Infinium-tech

Introduction and Specifications

Xiaomi’s top-end cameraphone, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, is now official and comes with considerable improvements in every aspect. Some are minor, some are more notable. Still, upgrades aren’t offered even on flagship phones these days.

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

It’s worth noting that we reviewed the Chinese version of the handset while we waited for the international version.

Starting with the usual chipset upgrades, the new Ultra gets the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC and is built around a slightly brighter and larger 6.9-inch OLED screen. This time completely flat.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra specifications at a glance:

• Body: 162.9×77.6×8.5mm, 230g; Glass front, fiber-reinforced plastic back/silicone polymer back (eco leather), aluminum frame; IP68/IP69 dust-proof and water-resistant (high-pressure water jets; submersion up to 6 meters for 30 minutes), aerospace-grade glass fiber.
• Display: 6.90″ LTPO AMOLED, 68B color, 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 (2×4.6 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6×3.62 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; é SIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT5.4, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC5, MIHC; NFC; Infrared port.
• various: Fingerprint reader (under the display, ultrasonic); stereo speakers; Two-way satellite communications.

The camera system is simple, but it’s as versatile as ever. The main unit retains the 50MP 1-inch type sensor while the 200MP telephoto cam achieves 3.2 to 4.3x continuous optical zoom with close focusing distance. This way, you don’t really need that second 3x telephoto camera that some previous Ultras had.

Additionally, the old 32MP selfie cam has been replaced with a 50MP one with autofocus.

The battery department also gets some love, getting a 6,800 mAh cell, which is significantly more than the previous generation.

Apart from all the upgrades and new features, the special “Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Coca-Cola” edition adds a dual-tone design inspired by the Coca-Cola M-series cameras with a curling pattern on the side frame, which improves the grip and feel. It also includes the LEICA Moment Mode, a dedicated chip for security and encryption, as well as dual-satellite communications.

Unboxing the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra we received from Leica came in a special large box that contained a few extra accessories besides 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 is only rated up to 90W by Xiaomi.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica Retail Box Contents

The retail package of the Leica Edition also includes a magnetic case, a lens cap, a red lanyard, and a cleaning cloth.