Xiaomi is ending 2025 with a massive “imaging” statement. Today, Thursday, December 25, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra officially launched in China at a flagship event in partnership with Leica.1
The thing is, Xiaomi has effectively “shrunk” the phone while making the internals explode. It’s officially their thinnest Ultra ever at 8.29mm, yet somehow they crammed a massive 6,800mAh silicon-carbon battery inside. Or nothing. Let’s be real, with the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 under the hood, this phone is basically a professional camera that happens to take phone calls. Those too.
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The “Leica” Showdown: Triple Camera Power
The biggest shocker? Xiaomi dropped the quad-camera setup of the 15 Ultra for a more refined triple-camera system. But here’s the kicker: the glass they’re using is “Leica APO-certified,” a gold standard in professional optics for reducing color fringing.
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The Main Sensor: A 50MP 1-inch “Light and Shadow Master” sensor (OmniVision OV50X) with a new LOFIC tech that supposedly gives it 10x the dynamic range of previous models.3
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The Telephoto Beast: A 200MP periscope lens (Samsung HP5) that offers continuous optical zoom from 75mm to 100mm.4
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The “Master Zoom Ring”: In a special Leica Edition, the circular camera module actually has a physical rotary dial. You can spin it to manually control the zoom or focus, just like a real Leica M-series camera.
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Xiaomi 17 Ultra Snapshot
| Feature | Details |
| Display | 6.82-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED, 3500 nits peak brightness |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3nm) |
| Body | 3D-printed titanium alloy frame |
| Battery | 6,800mAh with 100W wired / 80W wireless charging |
| Satellite | Two-way satellite communication (on 1TB variants) |
The Price Tag (China Launch)
While the final “Starry Sky Green” variant stole the show, the pricing has seen a slight bump due to the insane costs of that 200MP lens and the new 3nm chip.
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Base (12GB/256GB): Starts at CNY 6,599 (~₹79,000)5
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Top-end (16GB/1TB): Expected around CNY 7,999 (~₹96,000)
It’s an ongoing situation where Xiaomi is trying to out-Apple Apple. The 17 Ultra feels like a direct shot at the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max, especially with the Titanium frame and Satellite connectivity.
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