Xiaomi released the Xiaomi 15 Ultra during MWC 2025 in February. (Image source: Xiaomi)
Xiaomi released its latest Ultra-branded flagship less than six months ago. Nonetheless, the company’s CEO has already dropped hints about the state of the device’s successor. Not only has Lei Jun confirmed the existence of the Xiaomi 16 Ultra for the first time, but they have also hinted at camera upgrades and an apparent deepening of Xiaomi’s partnership with Leica.
Surprisingly, Xiaomi CEO’s has now weighed in on rumours months before the device’s anticipated release. Writing on Weibo, Lei Jun reiterates that Xiaomi and Leica’s partnership will return for the former’s next flagship smartphones. According to Digital Chat Station, the pair will work more closely this time around too, which Lei Jun implies in his same Weibo post.
Moreover, Xiaomi’s CEO indicates that the Xiaomi 16 Ultra will surpass its predecessor in terms of its camera hardware. To that end, recent rumours suggest that the Xiaomi 16 Ultra could feature three major camera upgrades within a new triple camera system. Reportedly, Xiaomi’s Ultra-branded flagship will return with a circa 7,500 mAh battery capacity too. Based on current thinking, all this should be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset as well. However, the Xiaomi 16 Ultra is currently expected to debut during MWC 2026 in Barcelona, which runs between March 2 and March 5, 2025.
(Image source: Weibo)
Alex Alderson – Senior Tech Writer – 12829 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2018
Prior to writing and translating for Notebookcheck, I worked for various companies including Apple and Neowin. I have a BA in International History and Politics from the University of Leeds, which I have since converted to a Law Degree. Happy to chat on Twitter or Notebookchat.