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SmartphonesMarch 4, 20261 min read

17 Ultra

Xiaomi flagship with Leica camera, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and massive 6000mAh battery.

4.7/5
$1,499USD
Buy on Amazon
17 Ultra

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the company's most ambitious smartphone yet, co-engineered with Leica for imaging excellence. Powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, it delivers flagship performance that rivals the best from Samsung and Apple.

The star of the show is the camera system. The 50MP main sensor with 1-inch size and f/1.67 aperture captures stunning detail, while the 200MP telephoto with variable focal length (75mm-100mm equivalent) offers optical zoom between 3.2x and 4.3x. The 50MP ultrawide completes a versatile setup that's arguably the best camera phone of 2026.

Battery life is equally impressive with a 6,000mAh cell (6,800mAh in Chinese version). 90W USB PD-PPS charging gets you from 0 to 100% in about 35 minutes, and 50W wireless charging is available for cable-free top-ups.

The 6.9-inch Xiaomi HyperRGB OLED display is protected by Shield Glass 3.0 and supports a 120Hz refresh rate. It's bright, colorful, and one of the best displays on any smartphone.

At €1,499 (~$1,599), it undercuts comparable flagships from Samsung and Apple while offering more versatile cameras. The Leica partnership isn't just marketing — the color science and lens quality are genuinely excellent.

Pros

  • Best-in-class camera system with Leica optics
  • Powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
  • Excellent battery life with 6000mAh
  • Fast 90W charging
  • Beautiful 6.9-inch OLED display

Cons

  • Not officially available on Amazon US yet
  • Expensive at €1,499
  • Large and heavy at 218g

17 Ultra

Xiaomi · Smartphones · Rating: 4.7/5

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