Xiaomi has officially confirmed that the Xiaomi 17 Ultra will debut in China on December 25. It will be the first flagship born from the company’s deepened partnership with Leica, and Xiaomi has already released teaser posters showcasing black-and-white colour options, along with hints of major camera upgrades. As the launch nears, more details about the phone’s design and hardware are coming into focus.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra design
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra features a centred circular camera module on the back, proudly bearing the Leica logo at its centre. The familiar “Ultra” branding sits on the upper-left portion of the rear panel, signalling its position at the top of Xiaomi’s lineup. This time, the volume buttons are individual round keys instead of a single rocker, which should offer a more tactile and precise feel.
On the front, Xiaomi is moving to a flat display with large, rounded corners, giving the phone a cleaner and more modern look compared to its predecessor. The camera bump is slightly more compact than before, and Xiaomi has removed the rear secondary display, which was present on earlier Ultra models.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra key specifications
Xiaomi is positioning the 17 Ultra as its next-generation “night photography champion,” promising big strides in low-light image quality and telephoto performance. On the back, the phone houses a triple-camera setup led by a 1-inch Omnivision OV50X primary sensor. This sensor uses advanced LOFIC technology to improve dynamic range in tricky lighting conditions, such as fireworks or dimly lit scenes.
The headline feature is the 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera supplied by Samsung, equipped with Leica APO-certified optics. Thanks to a larger module, the telephoto system supports continuous optical zoom over a broad range, enabling detailed long-distance shots and impressive close-up macros with minimal loss of quality.
Under the hood, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra runs on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and features a power-efficient flat display. Power is expected to come from a sizable 6,800mAh battery, with support for 100W wired fast charging and 80W wireless charging. The device is also set to offer dust and water resistance, ultra-wideband (UWB) support, and satellite connectivity on select higher-end variants.
Because of rising component and manufacturing costs, Xiaomi is rumoured to be increasing the starting price to 6,999 yuan (around $999). Despite the higher price tag, the company appears to be betting on its camera advancements and premium features to justify the bump.
This earlier-than-usual release is likely timed to help buyers take advantage of the enhanced camera system during the holiday season, capturing better low-light and festive shots right out of the box.
