The Flagship Just Got Photographer‑Level Skills
Xiaomi has unveiled its most premium smartphone yet — the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, debuting in China. This time, the company isn’t just chasing performance numbers; it’s boldly stepping into professional‑grade photography territory with a special Leica Edition that includes a manual ring‑zoom mechanism—just like on real cameras!
Display and Design
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra sports a 6.9‑inch LTPO AMOLED M10 screen, with a sharp 2608 × 1200 resolution and silky‑smooth 120 Hz refresh rate. The display shines brighter than most competitors, reaching a peak of 3,500 nits, making outdoor visibility effortless. A 50 MP selfie camera sits neatly in front, ensuring crisp details for video calls and vlogs.
While there’s no secondary screen on the back this time, Xiaomi compensates with serious camera firepower.
Camera: Where Magic Happens
At the heart of this flagship lies a 50 MP Light Fusion 1050L 1‑inch sensor co‑developed with Leica, enhanced by LOFIC technology for a higher dynamic range and more life‑like tones.
The telephoto department takes things even further — a 200 MP Samsung HPE sensor with a periscope lens, allowing optical zoom between 75 mm and 100 mm and digital zoom up to 400 mm. You can even shoot macro photos from 30 cm away using its 3G + 5P floating lens.
Completing the trio is a 50 MP ultra‑wide camera with a 115° field of view, capable of macro focus from just 5 cm. Video fans can rejoice too — the 17 Ultra supports 8K at 30 fps and 4K at 60 fps from the selfie shooter.
Performance and Power
Under the hood, Xiaomi packs the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, with up to 16 GB LPDDR5X RAM and 1 TB UFS 4.1 storage. That’s more muscle than most laptops!
The 6,800 mAh battery might be slightly smaller than the Pro Max variant, but with 90 W wired and 50 W wireless charging, you’ll still go from 0 to 100 in minutes.
The Leica Edition: For True Photography Lovers
The Leica Edition keeps the same specs but adds a manual mechanical zoom ring built right into its camera bump. This allows photographers to adjust focal length, exposure, and white balance by hand — no additional gear needed.
It even carries Leica’s iconic dual‑tone finish and signature red logo, with extras like a “Leica Moment Mode” in a 3:2 aspect ratio, encryption options, and two‑way satellite communication.
Xiaomi sweetens the deal with premium goodies: a lens cap, lanyard, magnetic case, and microfiber cloth.
Price and Availability
In China, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra starts at Rs 89,474. Indian Rupee. Rumors already point to an upcoming India launch, ready to thrill tech enthusiasts and mobile photographers alike.
Sujit Ram says: “This launch shows Xiaomi’s serious intent to merge smartphone convenience with DSLR‑level creativity — the future of mobile photography looks exciting.”
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