The Xiaomi 17 Ultra isn't just another flagship smartphone — it's a statement of intent. Featuring a triple Leica camera system, a massive 1/1-inch main sensor, a 200MP telephoto with APO zoom, and a DxOMark score of 166, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra makes a serious claim for the best camera phone of 2026. Here's our in-depth camera review.
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📸 Leica Camera System: Triple Threat
Xiaomi and Leica continue their partnership in the 17 Ultra, delivering a triple camera system that operates on an entirely different level compared to the competition. The Leica Summilux philosophy is evident in every shot — colours with depth, natural bokeh, and exceptional light management.
The main camera uses the OmniVision OV50X50 Light Fusion 1050L sensor at 50MP with a 1/1-inch size and f/1.65 aperture. This PureCel-type sensor captures enormous amounts of light even in challenging conditions, while pixel binning (4-in-1) produces outstanding 12.5MP shots with impressive detail.
🔭 200MP Telephoto with Leica APO Zoom
The real star of the camera system is the 200MP telephoto lens — an ISOCELL sensor with variable aperture from f/2.39 to f/2.96 and optical zoom ranging from 3.2x to 4.3x. The Leica APO (apochromatic lens) technology eliminates chromatic aberration — those colour “ghosts” that appear around objects at high zoom — a problem that plagues even expensive DSLR lenses.
In our testing, the 4.3x zoom delivered photos with striking sharpness, rivalling standalone cameras. The OIS works remarkably well, keeping shots steady even with slight hand shake. Digital zoom up to 10x still produces very good results, while quality starts to drop at 30x as expected.
What is APO Zoom? An apochromatic lens uses special glass elements with extremely low light dispersion. The result: “cleaner” images without purple/green halos around objects — technology that until recently only existed in professional Leica lenses costing thousands of euros.
🌙 Night Photography: Where It Really Shines
With a 1/1-inch sensor, large 1.60µm pixels, and an ultra-wide f/1.65 aperture, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra literally shines in the dark. The night mode leverages Xiaomi's AISP 3.0 machine learning to combine multiple exposures into a single image with minimal noise.
Compared to competitors (Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, iPhone 17 Pro Max), the Xiaomi 17 Ultra produces warmer tones at night — something attributed to Leica's signature colour science. If you prefer cooler tones, you can always switch between Leica Authentic (more natural) and Leica Vibrant (more vivid) modes.
🎬 Video: 8K & 1920fps Slow Motion
On the video front, capabilities are truly impressive. The 17 Ultra supports 8K recording, 4K at up to 60fps, and ultra slow motion at 1920fps — ideal for creative shots. Video stabilisation combines OIS with EIS and AI stabilisation, resulting in remarkably smooth footage even while moving.
The 50MP selfie camera (OmniVision OV50M, f/2.2) holds its own too. It features OIS (rare for a front-facing camera) and 4K video recording, perfect for vlogging and high-quality video calls.
"The Xiaomi 17 Ultra delivers the best overall package in the smartphone sector, paired with Leica APO zoom"
— Notebookcheck Review, January 2026⚡ Hardware: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 & 6,800mAh
Beyond the cameras, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra makes no compromises on hardware. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3nm) processor with cores clocked at 4.61 GHz and Adreno 840 GPU scores an AnTuTu v11 record of 4,027,702 points — the highest smartphone score to date.
The 6,800mAh silicon-carbon battery is a massive advantage. In real-world use, it easily lasts two days of moderate usage or a full day of heavy use. The 90W wired charging fills the battery in roughly 45 minutes, while 50W wireless charging is among the fastest on the market.
📱 Display, Design & Build Quality
The 6.9-inch AMOLED QHD display (1200x2608) with 1–120Hz LTPO refresh rate reaches 3,500 nits peak brightness — one of the brightest on the market. It supports HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and 12-bit colour depth, with TÜV Rheinland certifications for flicker-free operation and low blue light.
The build combines titanium and aluminium alloy, while IP68/IP69 certification guarantees resistance to water, dust, and even high-pressure jets. At 223g, the weight is expected given the capabilities on offer, and the build quality feels premium in every detail.
💰 Pricing & Availability
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra launched in China in December 2025 at a starting price of CN¥6,999 (approximately €940). The global edition is expected in Europe during Q1 2026. Through import channels, pricing starts at around €873 for the base 12GB/512GB model, while the top-spec 16GB/1TB version costs approximately €1,150.
Available colours include Black, White, Green, and Violet. Connectivity covers WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, UWB, and even satellite connectivity (Tiantong & BDS).
🏆 Verdict: Is It Worth It?
If you're looking for the ultimate camera phone of 2026, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is among the top contenders. The combination of Leica optics, a 1/1-inch sensor, 200MP telephoto with APO zoom, excellent night mode, and a class-leading DxOMark score of 166 places this device at the pinnacle of the market.
Of course, the price isn't cheap and availability in Europe is currently limited to import channels. But if photography is your priority and you want something that genuinely rivals dedicated cameras, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra justifies its cost in every respect.
Sources: Kimovil, Notebookcheck, DxOMark
