Xiaomi 17 Ultra Review: The Most Fun Camera Phone

TL;DR

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition delivers the most fun smartphone camera experience despite not having the absolute best image quality. It packs a 1-inch 50MP main sensor, a 50MP 14mm ultrawide, and a 200MP variable-zoom telephoto, plus a haptic camera control ring, Leica film emulation modes, and flagship specs like a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Transcript

So, the year is 2026, and it feels like most smartphones these days are like 50% computer, 50% camera. And the camera has been a more and more increasingly important part of every smartphone. But what if we just went all the way? What if it was just all camera that happens to have a phone attached to it? So, this is a Leica camera, but now this is ... Read More

Key Insights

• The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition is designed as a camera first and a phone second, with Leica branding appearing more often than Xiaomi on the back, plus 'Leica camera Germany' printed on the side.
• The main camera is a massive 1-inch, 50-megapixel sensor at f1.67, delivering lots of detail and a shallow depth of field with reliable, quick autofocus for point-and-shoot use.
• The telephoto is a 200-megapixel sensor with a real variable focal length, zooming smoothly from a 75mm to 100mm equivalent (3.2x to 4.3x) so you can use the full resolution before cropping.
• The ultrawide is a genuinely wide 14mm equivalent lens at 50 megapixels and f2.2, and its decent quality makes it very usable rather than a throwaway camera.
• Leica film emulation is built into the capture process, not just filters, so it cannot be undone; the M9 mode locks daylight white balance and the M3 mode emulates Leica mono 50 film with grain.
• The metal camera ring turns fluidly with haptics that simulate a notched, clicking feel, and twisting it quickly launches the camera, then controls zoom, exposure, focus, or shutter speed depending on mode.
• The device is a true flagship with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a 6.9-inch 120Hz display reaching 3,500 nits, a 6,800mAh battery with 90W charging, and IP69 water resistance despite the moving ring.
• The camera app resets to 12-megapixel binned photos every time it is closed and reopened, forgetting the 50-megapixel setting, though a correction notes a 'preserve settings' menu can retain several parameters.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the camera specs of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra?

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has a triple camera setup. The main camera is a massive 1-inch, 50-megapixel sensor at f1.67. The ultrawide is a 14mm equivalent lens, also 50 megapixels, at f2.2. The telephoto is a 200-megapixel sensor with a real variable focal length that zooms smoothly from a 75mm equivalent to a 100mm equivalent, ranging from f2.39 to f2.96, which lets you use the full resolution before cropping.

Q: Is the Xiaomi 17 Ultra the best smartphone camera?

According to the reviewer, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is not necessarily the absolute best set of smartphone cameras in terms of pure quality. It is very high up there but has some flaws and is not super clinical. However, the reviewer crowns it the best overall and most fun smartphone camera shooting experience he has ever had, thanks to the enjoyable camera app, reliable quick autofocus, and the big sensor's detail.

Q: How does the camera ring on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra work?

The camera ring is a metal ring surrounding the camera plateau that turns fluidly while producing haptics that simulate a notched, clicking feel. Twisting it quickly acts as a shortcut to open the camera app. Once open, it zooms in and out in normal camera mode, adjusts exposure value by default in video mode, and can be customized in settings to control manual focus, shutter speed, or white balance Kelvin value in pro mode.

Q: What Leica features does the Xiaomi 17 Ultra include?

The Leica partnership includes standard photo profiles where you can switch between Leica vibrant and Leica authentic, plus a Leica essential mode for more character. It also has film emulations built into the capture process, not just filters, so they cannot be undone. The M9 is locked in daylight white balance with a contrasty color profile, while the M3 emulates Leica mono 50 film in monochrome with less dynamic range and a nice grain.

Q: What accessories come with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition?

The unboxing includes the phone plus a custom case with MagSafe magnets built in and a Leica logo, an aluminum lens cap that works with the case and also says Leica, a very soft high-quality microfiber cleaning cloth for the lenses, and a wrist strap that attaches to the corner of the case like a camera lanyard. The reviewer estimates this accessories package alone probably costs 50 to 60 dollars based on their niceness.

Q: What are the specs and performance of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra?

Beyond the cameras, it is a true flagship. It has a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 4.1 storage for great performance. The display is a huge 6.9-inch flat 120Hz panel that reaches up to 3,500 nits. It has a 6,800mAh silicon carbon battery with 90-watt fast charging and 50-watt wireless charging, plus a full IP69 dust and water resistance rating. It runs Hyper OS 3 on top of Android 16.

Q: What are the downsides of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra?

The camera ring is a cool idea but can feel clunky and awkward like Apple's camera control; when zooming there is a very high chance your fingers get in the shot, and it is easy to accidentally brush the ring and launch the camera. The variable zoom from 75 to 100mm (3.2x to 4.3x) is not much zoom. Also, the camera app forgets your resolution setting, resetting from 50 megapixels back to 12-megapixel binned photos every time you reopen it.

Q: Can the Xiaomi 17 Ultra shoot high-quality video?

Yes. The reviewer shot most of his Tesla Model Y performance review in video mode with this phone, and it looks great. It is very easy to point and shoot and get good-looking 8K video without effort. The onboard microphones are not as great, but using an external mic solved that instantly. The phone can also record 1920x1080 video at 1,920 frames per second. The main downside for video enthusiasts is the audio quality from built-in mics.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition leans fully into being a camera, starting from an unboxing that includes a MagSafe case with a Leica logo, an aluminum lens cap, a microfiber cloth, and a wrist strap. The accessories package alone likely costs 50 to 60 dollars based on their quality, and the two-tone cream design features knurled grip texture and clicky circular volume buttons.

• The triple camera system pairs a 1-inch 50MP main sensor at f1.67, a 50MP 14mm ultrawide at f2.2, and a 200MP telephoto with a real 75mm-to-100mm variable zoom. Image quality is very high but not the absolute best or most clinical, yet the reviewer calls it the most fun smartphone shooting experience ever, with 8K video that is easy to capture.

• Leica integration goes deep with vibrant, authentic, and essential profiles plus baked-in M9 and M3 film emulations, while the haptic camera ring maps to zoom, exposure, focus, or shutter speed per mode. Flaws include finger-in-shot zoom, accidental ring triggers, limited zoom range, and the app forgetting the 50MP setting on reopen.