Xiaomi 17 Ultra Review: The Camera Beast That’s Taking On iPhone and Samsung

Camera: The Star of the Show

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is Xiaomi’s most ambitious flagship yet, unveiled at MWC 2026 in Barcelona. The main sensor is a 50MP shooter with an F/1.67 aperture and a large 1-inch sensor. The real showstopper though is the 200MP periscope telephoto camera with variable focal length between 75mm and 100mm — giving you optical zoom between 3.2x and 4.3x. A special Leica Edition is also available, celebrating 100 years of the iconic German camera brand, complete with a Leica Essential Mode featuring filters that recreate the look of classic Leica film cameras.

Performance and Display

Under the hood the Xiaomi 17 Ultra runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the same chip powering the Samsung Galaxy S26 series. The display is a massive 6.9-inch Hyper-RGB OLED panel protected by Xiaomi’s own Shield Glass 3.0, peaking at an impressive 3,500 nits of brightness , making it perfectly visible even in direct sunlight.

Battery Life

Xiaomi has packed in a huge 6,000 mAh battery, the Chinese version gets an even bigger 6,800 mAh. Charging is blazing fast at 100W wired HyperCharge, with 50W wireless charging also supported. At that charging speed, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra outpaces even pricier flagships like the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Price and Availability

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is available globally starting at €1,499. The special Leica Edition with 16GB RAM and 1TB storage is priced at €1,999. It runs HyperOS 3 based on Android 16, with a redesigned home screen, new cinematic lock screens and an upgraded search tool.

Verdict

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a serious contender in the flagship space. With class-leading camera hardware, a massive battery, top-tier performance and Leica branding, it gives Apple and Samsung a real run for their money, at a price that’s still slightly more competitive than its rivals. If you’re in the market for a flagship phone in 2026, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra deserves serious consideration.

Source : TechCrunch