Xiaomi has officially unveiled its latest flagship smartphone series, which consists of the base model and the high-end Xiaomi 17 Ultra. For this article, we’ll be focusing on the latter, which builds on the brand’s ongoing partnership with Leica, with a strong emphasis on zoom capabilities and optical performance.
The highlight of the device is its rear triple-camera system, led by a 200MP telephoto sensor. Unlike typical implementations, Xiaomi uses a large 1/1.4-inch sensor that enables true optical zoom between 75mm and 100mm without relying on digital cropping. The camera can also reach up to 400mm (around 17.2x) via in-sensor zoom, while maintaining detail across the zoom range.
Co-engineered with Leica, the telephoto setup incorporates an APO optical lens designed to reduce chromatic aberration and improve sharpness, contrast, and colour accuracy. Xiaomi says this makes it the first smartphone to receive Leica APO certification. Complementing it is a 50MP main camera featuring the Light Fusion 1050L sensor with LOFIC technology, aimed at improving dynamic range in challenging lighting conditions.
Rounding out the system is a 50MP ultra-wide camera with a 14mm focal length that also supports macro shots as close as 5cm. On the front, the device features a 50MP selfie camera. Meanwhile, video capabilities include up to 8K at 30fps and 4K at 120fps, with HDR support enabled by the same LOFIC technology.
Imaging aside, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra sports a 6.9-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2,608 x 1,200, a 120Hz refresh rate, and peak brightness of up to 3,500 nits. It supports a wide DCI-P3 colour gamut and up to 68 billion colours, while durability is handled by Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0 alongside an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Other notable features include dual stereo speakers, 4-mic array with AI call noise reduction, and an in-screen ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
Powering the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, paired with Xiaomi’s 3D Dual-Channel IceLoop cooling system. The company claims improved thermal efficiency through a dual-channel design that separates vapour and liquid pathways. Memory-wise, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra comes with 16GB of RAM and either 512GB or 1TB of internal storage.
Battery-wise, the phone packs a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon cell, with support for 90W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 22.5W reverse wired charging. On the software front, it runs HyperOS 3 and comes with up to five years of Android OS updates and six years of security patches.
Also officially introduced today is the Leica Leitz Phone Powered by Xiaomi, which is essentially the global version of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition. The Leica Leitz Phone features a slightly different design compared to its China-only counterpart, including an all-black rear in place of the two-tone finish, along with several minor cosmetic tweaks.
Beyond those visual differences, both models remain largely identical in terms of hardware, which is essentially similar to the non-Leica version of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. It should be noted that exclusive to the Leitz Phone is a programmable mechanical ring around the camera module, which can be used to adjust focal length, exposure and so on. The phone also introduces Leica Essential mode, recreating the image quality and photographic style of iconic Leica cameras, including Leica M9 and Leica M3 (with MONOPAN 50 film).
In Malaysia, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is offered in White, Black, and Starlit Green colour options. Pricing is set at RM5,499 for the 16GB + 512GB variant, while the 16GB + 1TB model retails at RM5,999. Meanwhile, the Leica Leitz Phone Powered by Xiaomi is only available in Black with a 16GB + 1TB configuration, priced at RM7,499, and comes with the same pre-order bonuses.
Pre-orders run from 1 to 5 March 2026, with customers who order either the Xiaomi 17 Ultra or Leica Leitz Phone within this period entitled to receive a free Xiaomi 17 Ultra Photography Kit Pro and Xiaomi Sound Party, while stocks last. Those interested can place their orders via Xiaomi Stores nationwide, the official website, as well as the brand’s official stores on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.
Additionally, Xiaomi is bundling several value-added perks with purchases of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Xiaomi 17. These include a three-month trial of Google AI Pro with 2TB of cloud storage, a three-month YouTube Premium subscription for ad-free viewing and offline downloads, a four-month Spotify Premium trial with offline playback and improved audio quality, as well as RM50 worth of Grab Gifts.
(Source: Xiaomi Malaysia press release)
