Xiaomi granted me the opportunity to try out the Xiaomi 17 Ultra as part of a special hands-on experience ahead of its global launch. The brand flew me and a handful of selected local media members to Chongqing and Beijing in China for a photography-focused tour, where we put the phone through its paces on the streets.
From what I experienced, the Ultra stands as Xiaomi and Leica’s most complete collaboration yet. Photography has remained the core focus of the Ultra series since the company partnered with Leica in 2022, but this year’s model feels more refined and confident in its execution.
@lowyatnet How does the new Xiaomi 17 Ultra perform when it comes to street photography? Xiaomi flew us, along with a handful of other local media members, to Chongqing and Beijing to put its Leica-enhanced cameras to the test. #Xiaomi17Ultra #LeicaCamera #StreetPhotography #XiaomiMalaysia
To recap, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra packs a triple-camera system led by a 200MP telephoto sensor with a large 1/1.4-inch sensor, enabling true 75mm to 100mm optical zoom and extending up to 400mm (around 17.2x) via in-sensor zoom. Xiaomi co-engineered the module with Leica, adding an APO lens to reduce chromatic aberration while improving sharpness, contrast, and colour accuracy, making it the first smartphone to receive Leica APO certification.
The setup also includes a 50MP main camera with the Light Fusion 1050L sensor and Xiaomi’s own LOFIC technology for improved dynamic range. A 50MP ultra-wide camera with a 14mm focal length rounds out the rear system and supports macro shots as close as 5cm.
In practice, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra performs exceptionally well for street photography. Beyond outright image quality, I enjoyed the phone’s handling and overall shooting experience. On paper, it should not feel drastically different from its predecessor, but Xiaomi has clearly refined the camera interface to feel more intuitive and responsive. Switching focal lengths, adjusting exposure, and navigating shooting modes felt fluid.
Unlike some competitors, Xiaomi does not build a dedicated shutter button into the phone itself. Instead, it offers optional Photography Kits designed specifically for the 17 Ultra. The standard Photography Kit comes in the form of a case with a dedicated shutter button that connects via Bluetooth and houses its own battery. The Pro version, which I personally prefer, consists of a case module and a grip module that connects via USB-C and features a two-stage shutter button, a separate video record button, a zoom lever, a customisable dial, and a thumb pad.
With the Pro kit attached, the 17 Ultra genuinely feels like a compact point-and-shoot camera. The physical controls make it easier to shoot discreetly from the hip or quickly raise the device to eye level, which suits street photography far better than tapping on a slab of glass.
As for image quality, all of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s lenses deliver impressive results. Photos show rich and sharp details, natural-looking bokeh, and colour tuning that closely resembles output from Leica’s Q-series cameras, particularly in terms of contrast and tonal rendering.
For street photography, those qualities matter. You need clarity in facial expressions, balanced highlights and shadows to add drama, and colours that bring life to the frame without looking overprocessed, and the 17 Ultra consistently delivers on those fronts.
Compared to its predecessor, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, this year’s model feels like a noticeable leap forward. The previous generation still performed well, but the 17 Ultra refines the look and consistency of its output in a way that feels more deliberate and mature.
While the 1-inch 50MP primary sensor remains a key highlight, the upgraded 200MP telephoto system impressed me the most. Longer focal lengths prove invaluable for candid portraits, allowing you to maintain distance while isolating subjects with pleasing compression and depth. Images shot within the telephoto’s 3.2x to 4.3x continuous optical zoom range look particularly strong. Those taken beyond that, up to around 17x, remain usable thanks to in-sensor zoom and AI compensation, though pixel peepers will start noticing artefacts once you push towards 30x and above.
Low-light performance also stands out. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra handles night scenes and dimly lit streets confidently, though noise reduction becomes more apparent in tougher conditions or when relying heavily on digital zoom.
Photo Samples
Meanwhile, the Ultra’s unique continuous optical zoom feature between 3.2x and 4.3x works smoothly, but the range feels too limited for more creative effects like a dramatic dolly zoom. It feels more like a technical showcase of what the hardware can achieve rather than a tool you will constantly rely on.
Photography aside, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra ticks all the right flagship boxes. It runs on a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset paired with 16GB of RAM and a 6,000mAh battery, and in my brief time with it, performance never posed an issue. It also marks the first Ultra model to ditch a curved display in favour of a flat panel. I personally welcome the change, as flat screens feel more practical for daily use and editing photos on the go.
That’s all I can share regarding the Ultra for now. A full review where I evaluate the phone’s overall performance is in the works, so do stay tuned for that.
In case you missed it, Xiaomi offers the 17 Ultra in White, Black, and Starlit Green. In Malaysia, Pricing starts at RM5,499 for the 16GB + 512GB variant, while the 16GB + 1TB model retails at RM5,999, with pre-orders available via Xiaomi Stores nationwide, the official website, and the brand’s official stores on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.
More Photo Samples
