Xiaomi has officially pulled the curtain back on its newest flagship phone, the 17 Ultra, and it is making a bold statement in mobile photography.
Unveiled on Thursday, the premium device leans heavily on Xiaomi’s deepening partnership with German camera brand Leica. The company says this collaboration has led to major improvements in night photography and overall imaging performance.
A sharper focus on mobile photography
At the launch event, Xiaomi president Lu Weibing highlighted how closely the two companies are working together to push camera technology forward.
“We work together to build future-proof optical technology … and completely reshape the mobile photography experience,” Lu said.
To back up those claims, Lu shared side-by-side photos taken in low-light conditions in Hong Kong. The images compared shots from the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Apple’s top-tier iPhone 17 Pro Max. According to Lu, photos taken with Xiaomi’s new phone were clearly sharper, while the iPhone images looked blurred.
Leica doubles down on the partnership
Leica also made it clear that this collaboration goes beyond branding. Siegmund Dukek, managing director of Leica Camera Greater China, said the goal is to bring professional-level photography to everyday users.
“By bringing our optical expertise into Xiaomi smartphones, we’re making professional photography more accessible,” Dukek said.
That confidence reflects a shared ambition between the two brands. Together, they are aiming to attract iPhone users in mainland China, even as consumer spending remains soft and competition from domestic rivals like Huawei and Honor continues to intensify.
A Leica-inspired special edition
Alongside the standard model, Xiaomi also introduced a special-edition version called the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica. This version carries the iconic Leica logo and features a design inspired by the camera maker’s classic look.
“Holding it is like holding a Leica camera,” Lu said.
Pricing for the special-edition model starts at 7,999 yuan (US$1,141), while the standard Xiaomi 17 Ultra begins at 6,999 yuan.
The price tag marks an increase of nearly 8 per cent compared with the previous generation, which launched at 6,499 yuan.
Why did the price go up
Lu had already prepared consumers for the higher price before launch. He explained that rising memory chip costs, driven by strong demand from enterprise artificial intelligence projects, played a major role.
Beyond the camera upgrades, the 17 Ultra packs a 6.9-inch display, starts with 512GB of storage, and includes a better battery. It also features improved temperature control to handle extended photography sessions more comfortably.
Xiaomi’s market position and wider launch plans
Xiaomi remains a major global player. In the third quarter, the company ranked as the world’s third largest smartphone vendor, according to IDC, behind only Samsung Electronics and Apple.
However, the broader market remains challenging. Counterpoint Research reported that China’s smartphone sales fell 2.7 per cent year on year in the third quarter, citing weak consumer demand during the summer holiday and back-to-school season.
Despite this, high-end phones continue to perform well. Counterpoint noted that Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro models saw strong demand thanks to noticeable design and performance improvements.
Beyond smartphones, Xiaomi also used Thursday’s event to unveil a new lineup of consumer electronics, including tablets, air conditioners, and lamps, showing that the company’s ambitions stretch well beyond mobile devices.
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