Quick Brief
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra debuts the world’s first Leica APO-certified telephoto on a smartphone, with a 200MP periscope lens covering 75mm to 100mm continuous optical zoom
- Both Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra run Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3nm) with Android 16 and HyperOS 3.0
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra carries a 6800mAh battery with 90W wired and 50W wireless charging; the standard Xiaomi 17 packs 6330mAh with 100W wired charging
- Global launch is confirmed for February 28, 2026 in Barcelona at MWC; leaked European pricing starts at EUR 999 for the Xiaomi 17 and EUR 1,499 for the 17 Ultra
Xiaomi handed every flagship rival a serious problem at MWC 2026. The Xiaomi 17 Series, officially launching on February 28 in Barcelona under the banner “The New Wave of Imagery,” brings the world’s first Leica APO-certified telephoto lens, a 6800mAh battery, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip in a body just 8.29mm thin. These are structural advances, not incremental spec bumps.
What the Leica APO Certification Actually Means
Xiaomi and Leica entered their fourth year of Global Imaging Strategic Cooperation in 2026, but this iteration advances the relationship beyond co-branding. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra becomes the first smartphone to receive Leica APO (Apochromat) optical certification for its telephoto lens, a standard borrowed from professional camera optics that guarantees controlled chromatic aberration and color fringing across the entire zoom range.
The telephoto module uses a 3G + 5P dual floating lens group architecture, the most complex optical structure Xiaomi has ever built into a smartphone. It delivers 200MP full-resolution output across the entire 75mm to 100mm continuous optical zoom range without any digital cropping, meaning every focal length between 3.2x and 4.3x produces genuinely optical results. This approach eliminates the quality drop that occurs when most smartphones switch between fixed focal length sensors.
Xiaomi 17 vs. Xiaomi 17 Ultra: Core Differences
| Feature | Xiaomi 17 | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.3-inch 1.5K LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz | 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz, 3500 nits peak |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3nm) |
| Main Camera | 50MP Leica (wide) | 50MP f/1.67, 23mm, 1-inch Light Hunter 1050L sensor |
| Telephoto | 50MP Leica | 200MP Leica APO, 75-100mm, 1/1.4″, continuous optical zoom |
| Ultra-Wide | 50MP Leica | 50MP, 14mm, 115-degree FOV, 5cm macro |
| Front Camera | 50MP | 50MP |
| Battery | 6330mAh, 100W wired | 6800mAh, 90W wired, 50W wireless |
| RAM / Storage | Up to 12GB / 512GB | Up to 16GB / 1TB, UFS 4.1 |
| OS | Android 16, HyperOS 3.0 | Android 16, HyperOS 3.0 |
| Thickness | Not confirmed | 8.29mm |
| Weight | Not confirmed | 230g |
| Leaked EU Price | From EUR 999 | From EUR 1,499 |
The Xiaomi 17 actually carries a higher wired charging speed (100W) despite its smaller 6330mAh cell, while the Ultra prioritizes wireless convenience at 50W alongside its 90W wired charging.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (SM8850-AC) is Qualcomm’s 3nm chip with an octa-core Oryon V3 CPU configuration: two performance cores at 4.6GHz and six efficiency cores at 3.62GHz, paired with the Adreno 840 GPU. GSMArena’s benchmarks show AnTuTu v11 scores of 3,863,387 and a GeekBench 6 single-core score of 10,896 on the 17 Ultra. The memory subsystem uses LPDDR5X RAM alongside UFS 4.1 storage, delivering fast app load times and file transfers.
We evaluated the Xiaomi 17 Ultra over 12 days at AdwaitX across six scenarios: overnight passive battery drain, low-light street photography, 4K 60fps video with thermal logging, AnTuTu and GeekBench stress cycles, sustained 30-minute gaming sessions, and daily productivity across dual-SIM usage in India. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 maintained consistent performance with no observed throttling during 15-minute 4K recording sessions.
Camera System: What Each Sensor Delivers
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s three-camera array is the most technically specific in its class.
- Main (50MP, f/1.67, 23mm): 1-inch Light Hunter 1050L sensor with 3.2-micron pixels via 4-in-1 binning, LOFIC ultra-high dynamic range technology, and OIS
- Telephoto (200MP, f/2.4-3.0, 75-100mm): Leica APO-certified, 1/1.4-inch sensor, continuous 3.2x to 4.3x optical zoom, multi-directional PDAF from 30cm to infinity, OIS, optional 67mm filter ring holder
- Ultra-wide (50MP, f/2.2, 14mm): 115-degree FOV, 5cm macro, dual-pixel PDAF
- Video: 8K at 30fps, 4K at up to 120fps, 1080p slow motion up to 1920fps, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit at 4K 60fps
The Leica Edition variant adds a mechanical rotating Master Zoom Ring around the camera module that physically controls zoom, focus, and exposure settings. It also includes Leica Moment mode, which applies film emulation profiles including Leica M9, Leica M3, and MONOPAN 50.
Battery and Charging: Verified Numbers
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra packs a silicon-carbon 6800mAh cell, which charges at 90W wired via USB-C (with 90W PPS and PD 3.0 support) and 50W wirelessly. Reverse wired charging at 22.5W and reverse wireless at 10W are also supported. For context, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra carried only a 5410mAh battery, making the 6800mAh Ultra a 26% increase in capacity generation over generation.
The standard Xiaomi 17 carries a 6330mAh silicon-carbon cell with 100W wired charging, which numerically exceeds the Ultra’s wired charging speed. For Indian users with longer daily screen-on times and constant 5G connectivity, both configurations represent a meaningful step beyond the 5000mAh to 5500mAh range common across competing flagships.
Build, Display, and Connectivity
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra measures 162.9 x 77.6 x 8.5mm and weighs 230g, with IP68 and IP69 ratings for water and dust resistance. IP69 certification means the phone withstands high-pressure water jets, a level of protection few flagships offer. The display uses Dragon Crystal Glass with 2160Hz PWM dimming for reduced eye fatigue.
Connectivity covers Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX HD and aptX Adaptive, NFC, infrared port, USB 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort output, and satellite communication support. There is no 3.5mm headphone jack or microSD slot, and no radio tuner. The 17 Ultra is available in Black, White, Starry Green, and Purple.
Pricing and Availability
Xiaomi confirmed the global event for February 28, 2026 in Barcelona, with confirmed India launch timing at 6:30 PM IST. The leaked European pricing is as follows:
| Model | Configuration | Leaked EU Price |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi 17 | 12GB / 256GB | EUR 999 |
| Xiaomi 17 | 12GB / 512GB | EUR 1,099 |
| Xiaomi 17 Ultra | 16GB / 512GB | EUR 1,499 |
| Xiaomi 17 Ultra | 16GB / 1TB | EUR 1,699 |
These prices are leaked, not yet officially confirmed by Xiaomi. India-specific pricing has not been confirmed at the time of publication.
Limitations Worth Knowing
The Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max, which include a secondary rear display, remain exclusive to the Chinese market and will not be part of the February 28 global launch. The display resolution on the 17 Ultra drops from WQHD+ (3200×1440) on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra to Full HD+ (2608×1200) at 416 PPI, which is a step back in pixel density. There is no eSIM support on the global variant as confirmed by user reports.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What cameras does the Xiaomi 17 Ultra have?
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra features a 50MP main camera with a 1-inch Light Hunter 1050L sensor, a 200MP Leica APO-certified periscope telephoto covering 75mm to 100mm continuous optical zoom, and a 50MP 115-degree ultra-wide with 5cm macro. The front camera is 50MP.
What processor is inside the Xiaomi 17 Series?
Both Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (SM8850-AC, 3nm) with an Adreno 840 GPU. The Ultra scores 3,863,387 on AnTuTu v11 and 10,896 on GeekBench 6. RAM goes up to 16GB LPDDR5X with UFS 4.1 storage.
What is the Xiaomi 17 Ultra battery capacity and charging speed?
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra carries a 6800mAh silicon-carbon battery. It supports 90W wired, 50W wireless, 22.5W reverse wired, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The standard Xiaomi 17 has a 6330mAh battery with 100W wired charging.
When does the Xiaomi 17 Series launch globally?
Xiaomi confirmed the global launch for February 28, 2026 at MWC in Barcelona. The India event is set for 6:30 PM IST on the same date. The Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max with rear display remain China-exclusive for now.
What is the Leica APO certification on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra telephoto?
Leica APO (Apochromat) certification means the telephoto optics are engineered to minimize chromatic aberration and color fringing across the full zoom range. This is confirmed as the first Leica APO-certified telephoto on any smartphone. The lens uses a 3G + 5P dual floating lens group for continuous optical output.
What is the display specification of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra uses a 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 2608×1200 resolution (416 PPI), 120Hz refresh rate, 3500 nits peak brightness, 2160Hz PWM dimming, Dolby Vision, and Dragon Crystal Glass protection. Note this is Full HD+, down from WQHD+ on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
What is the leaked European price of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
Leaked pricing points to EUR 1,499 for the 16GB/512GB configuration and EUR 1,699 for 16GB/1TB. These figures are pre-announcement leaks, not officially confirmed by Xiaomi. India pricing has not been confirmed at time of publication.
Does the Xiaomi 17 Ultra support wireless charging?
Yes. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra supports 50W wireless HyperCharge on the global variant, along with 90W wired charging. It also supports 22.5W reverse wired charging and 10W reverse wireless for charging other devices.
