Competition
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is currently available only in China, but a global version should be just around the corner. The pricing for the standard 12GB/512GB version is CNY 6,999 ($995), while the Leica edition is asking CNY 7,999 ($1,140). Judging by past releases, the handset will most likely be priced in the mid-€1,000 range, while the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica, if it makes it outside of China, will likely cost considerably more than €1,500. It’s also important to note that the Chinese price of the 17 Ultra has increased a little.
But even with its hefty price, there are only a few handsets that can come close to the 17 Ultra’s camera prowess, especially if you are located outside of China. That’s because the Oppo Find X Ultra and the vivo X Ultra series have historically been China-only devices, leaving the Xiaomi Ultra lineup your only “Ultra” option, aside from the Galaxy S Ultra, of course.
Oppo Find X9 Pro • vivo X300 Pro • Honor Magic8 Pro
In case you find the Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s price hard to swallow, but you don’t want to skimp on the camera front, then consider the vivo X300 Pro and the Oppo Find X9 Pro. Aside from some image processing preferences, the 17 Ultra is arguably the better cameraphone. The telephoto camera is more versatile, the main sensor captures exceptional stills and 2x crop zoom photos and the selfie game is largely improved as well.
Xiaomi’s contender may fall behind the Find X9 Pro when it comes to battery life, but it sure does outpace it in the charging race. Compared to the vivo X300 Pro, it’s the other way around. Additionally, the 17 Ultra’s chipset is a tad more powerful than the Dimensity 9500 powering the vivo and Oppo.
The Honor Magic8 Pro is another alternative worth considering as it has marginally longer battery life and faster charging, but it’s no match for the 17 Ultra’s camera prowess.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra • Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
Alternatively, you can pivot to the “traditional” Ultra, the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which the S26 Ultra will soon replace. However, the Xiaomi flagship is a better “ultra” in almost every way. It has a longer battery life, faster charging, maybe even better loudspeakers, but more importantly, it offers a camera experience that’s light-years ahead. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has a better anti-reflective display to show for, but that’s about it.
In case you are dead-set on a Xiaomi phone, but don’t want to go over budget, then consider the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. Keep in mind it’s a China-only phone. It has a useful secondary display as well as longer battery life, faster charging and the same exact display. It misses the cool camera hardware, but it’s considerably cheaper while being 80% of what the 17 Ultra is.
Verdict
Despite the hefty price tag, which is even higher than last year, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is one of the best flagship cameraphones you can get right now. Just like the rest of the flagship phones, the 17 Ultra has an excellent display, fast chipset, snappy charging and long battery life, although that last bit isn’t a given.
However, the improved telephoto and selfie cameras, along with the exceptional main camera performance, make the device one of the best in its class. We also didn’t feel the absence of the second 3x telephoto camera either, as the current 200MP telephoto shooter with continuous optical zoom and close-distance focusing covers all bases. The rotating camera ring on the 17 Ultra by Leica is a nice touch, but it’s borderline gimmicky, and we had to turn it off to avoid accidental actuations.
All in all, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is one of the most capable flagship phones with little to no drawbacks. The exceptionally hefty price tag is the only thing you’d have to deal with.
Pros
Premium and sturdy design, the Leica edition design is unique.
Even bigger display with plenty of nits and Dolby Vision.
Class-leading battery life; decently fast charging.
Loud and very nice-sounding speakers.
Feature-rich HyperOS; decent sustained performance
Superb main camera, surprisingly good ultrawide, excellent telephoto across its entire (admittedly narrow) zoom range
Leica edition’s camera ring control is widely customizable and can be useful for the right crowd.
Cons
Very high price tag at launch.
Main camera’s video stabilization is subpar; video quality in general is just alright.
Camera app is brimming with features and modes, and it can be overwhelming.
Camera ring can be prone to accidental actuation, feels like a solution in search of a problem.
Shorter minimum focusing distance on the telephoto camera would have been appreciated.