Xiaomi and Leica have been partners for quite some time. Now, it seems that the two firms are looking to upgrade their collaboration. The phone maker revealed that the two companies will be extending the strategic partnership with a “co-creation model”, building on the previous joint R&D model. And of course, at the heart of this new strategy is the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
In the announcement post on Weibo, the Chinese company divulged some new details on its upcoming flagship, namely its imaging system. Apparently, the phone will debut with a “groundbreaking new generation of optical system solutions”.
Previously, leaks have pointed to a triple-camera setup for the device, as opposed to the quad lenses on its predecessor. More specifically, these leaks suggested that the phone will only feature one telephoto lens. While the brand did not confirm or deny these rumours, it revealed that the Xiaomi 17 Ultra will feature a new telephoto lens, which will apparently be the first Leica Apochromatic (APO) certified telephoto lens in the mobile realm. Known for their low dispersion and high resolution, these APO lenses are among Leica’s strengths.
Another highlight of the phone is a large 1-inch main sensor, which according to Xiaomi was specifically developed for mobile devices. Paired with the APO telephoto lens, the company promises higher image quality in low-light conditions, as well as improvements in terms of detail reproduction in high-contrast contexts.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra will be making its China debut sometime next week, which is earlier than initially anticipated. For now, though, the company has yet to specify an exact release date. An international launch date is also uncertain, although past reports have hinted at the existence of a global model already.
