Xiaomi’s 17 Ultra Is a Glowing Pictures Powerhouse

Xiaomi and Leica’s Leitzphone wowed me with its unbelievable images abilities and fancy bodily settings wheel, but it surely’s not the one thrilling cellphone the corporate launched at this yr’s MWC. The base Xiaomi 17 Ultra has lots of the Leitzphone’s spectacular specs however strips again among the Leica stuff to be, effectively, extra like a daily cellphone. 

It has the identical potent Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, 6.9-inch show and 6,000-mAh battery. The digicam {hardware} is an identical too, with the primary digicam utilizing the identical giant LOFIC image sensor and the telephoto zoom utilizing shifting lens parts for steady optical zoom. It’s an especially potent digicam setup — I completely love the photographs I’ve taken with it. 

So what’s totally different between this and the Leitzphone? It lacks the bodily management wheel across the digicam unit for one factor. Though I did take pleasure in utilizing the dial, particularly once I set it to regulate the publicity compensation, it is completely not a dealbreaker that the 17 Ultra lacks it. There aren’t any Leica colour profiles within the digicam app that allow you to mimic the tones you get from Leica’s common standalone cameras. This is a disgrace as I like the look of many of those profiles — particularly Leica Chrome — however that is only one man’s opinion. You might very effectively by no means miss them.

The base Ultra would not have the customized black-and-white Leica Android interface both, however I do not actually prefer it anyway, as I wrestle to inform which app is which with out correct colour cues. 

Physically, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra forgoes the Leica pink dot brand on the again and the “Leica Camera Germany” etching on the aspect, which is not any massive deal in the event you’re not a Leica fan. Instead of being minimalist black and silver, the 17 Ultra is available in a glittery, deep inexperienced tone that I actually like. It jogs my memory of a elaborate kitchen work floor. I truthfully imply that as excessive reward.

The 17 Ultra is ostensibly the identical cellphone because the Leitzphone; it is simply much less in-your-face about its Leica credentials. It additionally comes at a cheaper price: £1,299 within the UK as a substitute of the £1,699 you may have to shell out for the Leica mannequin. Neither cellphone can be formally supplied within the US, however for reference, these costs convert roughly to $1,750 and $2,290. 

Is that additional £400 value it? Well, in the event you’re an actual picture nerd like me and love the thought of getting a Leica product in your pocket, then positive. The management wheel and Leica colour profiles do make for an excellent images expertise. But the bottom mannequin continues to be an unbelievable digicam, and that sparkly inexperienced design actually is gorgeous. 

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