I’m a Pro Photographer and Xiaomi’s 17 Ultra Leica Telephone Appears Wonderful

Xiaomi’s 14 Ultra blew me away with its pictures expertise, making it one of the crucial achieved digicam telephones cash may purchase when it launched. And whereas the 15 Ultra wasn’t a lot of an improve, the corporate’s 17 Ultra is shaping as much as be one hell of a pictures telephone. As a professional photographer myself, I’m excited. 

The key to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s pictures prowess was its predominant imaging sensor. It had a 1-inch kind chip that is bodily a lot bigger than these you’d discover in virtually every other smartphone digicam. An even bigger sensor can seize extra gentle, which usually leads to higher dynamic vary and particulars with out having to rely as a lot on software program processing. It’s why skilled cameras just like the Hasselblad X2D II have huge imaging sensors for pristine photographic high quality. 

The 15 Ultra used the identical sensor and whereas the telephone had some modifications I did not like — comparable to eliminating the variable aperture from the 14 Ultra — it maintained the general picture high quality. And, like its predecessor, it was out there with an non-obligatory pictures accent equipment that added a digicam grip and filter mount. This allowed you to carry and shoot pictures with the telephone in a lot the identical manner you may with any compact digital digicam. 

Xiaomi’s two greatest rivals, Samsung and Apple, are additionally recognized for his or her very good digicam telephones and with Samsung’s S26 Ultra vary simply across the nook, competitors is fierce. But what makes Xiaomi stand out is that it actually appears to tailor its Ultra telephones to professionals and lovers. People who, like me, count on to manage each facet of the photo-taking course of, somewhat than counting on computerized AI gimmicks. 

At this level I’d usually share rumors about how the 17 Ultra (the corporate opted to skip the quantity 16 to maintain tempo with Apple’s iPhone 17 line) goes to get some key digicam system upgrades that would make it the most effective digicam telephone round. But on this case, the “rumors” are what Xiaomi has already revealed when it announced the phone for the China market. Many of the important thing particulars are already recognized forward of its anticipated launch within the UK and wider Europe (Xiaomi would not formally promote its telephones within the US) inside the subsequent couple of months. 

Here’s what’s coming.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra already launched in China

Xiaomi formally took the wraps off the 17 Ultra for its native China market over the 2025 Christmas interval and whereas among the specs — particularly the battery — might differ barely when the telephone goes on sale elsewhere, I would not count on the digicam specs to alter all that a lot. 

On the floor, not a lot appears to have modified for the reason that final era. The predominant digicam nonetheless makes use of a big 1-inch-type sensor, there’s an ultrawide digicam and a telephoto zoom with a 200-megapixel decision — not dissimilar to the 200-megapixel telephotos already seen on the Oppo Find X9 Pro or Honor Magic 8 Pro. But dive deeper and issues get attention-grabbing. 

Xiaomi’s launch web page says that the principle digicam makes use of a LightFusion 1050L sensor, versus the Sony LYT-900 chip seen on the final two fashions. “So what?” I hear you ask. Well, Xiaomi explains that this new chip makes use of a expertise known as LOFIC HDR, which stands for Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor, in case you have been curious. 

What that nonsense string of phrases principally interprets to is a sensor able to delivering true HDR pictures from a single picture seize. Typically, HDR pictures are created by combining a number of pictures at completely different exposures into one closing photograph with even highlights and shadows, and on HDR-capable screens, extra-bright areas to reap the benefits of the bigger dynamic vary. Most telephones function this fashion, however this new sensor expertise guarantees to ship higher outcomes with just one publicity. 

In reality, LOFIC HDR sensors may probably see dynamic ranges (the distinction between the highlights and shadows) of round 20 stops — a major step up from the roughly 12 to fifteen stops seen on most of right now’s telephones, and better even than what {most professional} mirrorless cameras can obtain. Crucially, it achieves this on the {hardware} degree, somewhat than leaning solely on software program enhancements, which might typically end in fake-looking pictures with noticeable digital processing artifacts. 

How this expertise actually pans out in on a regular basis pictures stays to be seen, however it’s definitely been some time since I’ve seen vital {hardware} enhancements like this — a lot of the pictures improvements over the previous few years have been software program and AI-based. In Xiaomi’s press launch for the 17 Ultra’s digicam, the time period “AI” is used simply as soon as. Even then, it is solely referring to a certification system that goals to show the pictures it takes are real photographs and not generated by AI. I will not lie, it is a refreshing change from how most different telephone corporations are approaching their gadgets.

Xiaomi is not the one one experimenting with these new LOFIC picture sensors — Apple is reportedly working on its own in-house LOFIC sensor, too. As is Samsung and Sony, according to GSM Arena. Evidently, this expertise is making severe waves within the trade and should effectively turn into the subsequent large factor in smartphone pictures.

Then there’s the 17 Ultra’s telephoto zoom, which packs not solely 200 megapixels of decision, but in addition a steady optical zoom that goes from 75 to 100mm equal focal lengths. Most telephone zooms require you to pick particular optical zoom ranges (3x, 10x and so forth) or depend on digital cropping for broader zoom ranges on the expense of picture high quality.

Xiaomi seems to be persevering with its partnership with Leica, too, calling the principle digicam the Leica Ultra Dynamic Camera, utilizing Leica-certified APO optics for higher picture high quality and providing the telephone in a particular version “Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica” version. It has the enduring Leica purple dot emblem, a customized Leica pictures app, Leica colour tones and a bodily ring on the again of the telephone that truly controls focus, zoom or publicity compensation. It appears wonderful and, as a Leica shooter myself, I’m determined to see what this telephone is like to make use of for pictures. 

Xiaomi 17 Ultra: Other key specs

Unsurprisingly, for what will probably be Xiaomi’s flagship telephone for 2026, the 17 Ultra packs prime specs throughout the board. It runs Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 chip, which has confirmed to be an absolute powerhouse in different telephones we have examined. It’ll even have as much as 16GB of RAM and as much as 1TB of storage.

The Chinese model boasts a 6,800-mAh battery together with 90W wired charging and 50W wi-fi charging. While I believe the battery capability will probably be smaller outdoors of China, I nonetheless count on the telephone to supply no less than a full day of demanding use between fees. It’s IP68 rated for water and mud resistance and at 8.29mm thick at its thinnest level, Xiaomi says it is the thinnest Ultra telephone it is ever made. 

Xiaomi 17 Ultra: Get me this Leica telephone

I’ve turn into more and more annoyed by telephone cameras that lean ever tougher on software-based picture processing to artificially sharpen pictures and steadiness exposures utilizing AI. The outcomes virtually all the time look unnatural, with the form of pretend exposures and crunchy particulars that scream “This photo was taken with a phone.” The Xiaomi 17 Ultra seems to be doing issues in a different way. 

The 17 Ultra as a substitute depends on new {hardware} improvements for its picture high quality — each by way of its LOFIC sensor and its steady optical zoom. Mix in all of the Leica stuff and the top-end specs elsewhere and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is shaping as much as be one of the crucial formidable telephones of 2026. And as each a photographer and Leica person, I can not wait to get my fingers on it.