Assessment: Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Leitzphone Pack Leica Magic Right into a Flagship Cellphone

A giant display, highly effective digicam system, and top-notch efficiency can eat proper into your battery life, however Xiaomi has managed to pack a 6,000-mAh battery into the 17 Ultra (up from 5,410 mAh final 12 months). The bounce offers it severe stamina, and this telephone can go a few days between costs.

I want Xiaomi had discovered a method to embrace Qi2, as magnetic wi-fi charging is the one factor I missed in switching from the Pixel 10 Pro XL (although you’ll be able to kind of add it with the images package case). The 17 Ultra does help wi-fi charging at an impressively quick 50-watt charge, however the digicam module makes it awkward to make use of with some wi-fi chargers. Wired charging goes as much as 90 watts with the best adapter (not included).

Software was once the massive caveat, however I didn’t discover a lot to complain about with the 17 Ultra. Xiaomi’s HyperOS apes iOS in locations, and I nonetheless don’t just like the unlabeled quick-settings icons, but it surely’s largely completely wonderful. The Leica interface, with minimalist app icons and images widgets, is far nicer than the marginally cartoonish HyperOS, but it surely’s very straightforward to customise. I don’t assume bloatware has anywhere on a flagship telephone, so I’m at all times aggravated to see apps like Facebook and TikTok preinstalled.

There’s loads of AI onboard, in case you care, and you should use Google’s Gemini or Xiaomi’s HyperAI for all kinds of photograph and video enhancing, transcription, translation, summarization, and extra. It’s not fairly as slick and stylish as Google’s Pixel, however you’ll be able to broadly obtain all the identical outcomes.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra isn’t formally accessible within the US, however you’ll be able to choose it up for £1,299 within the UK (1,499 euros in Europe). The Leitzphone prices £1,799 (1,999 euros). For people who can get their arms on the worldwide mannequin extra simply, it’s a near-flawless flagship contender that may fulfill anybody craving an enormous, highly effective, photography-first telephone.