In the US, talk of top camera phones has largely centered around the iPhones, the Samsung Galaxy series and, more recently, the Google Pixel. Instead, people in Asia and parts of Europe have a wider range of options with companies like Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo upping their camera game.
Recently launched globally, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is one such device, with a large camera housing a versatile set of sensors and a partnership with renowned German camera manufacturer Leica to deliver software-level changes and sensitivity to how scenes are captured.
The camera has many options to choose from, ranging from different focal lengths on the hardware side to various filters and settings to change the look of the final image.
Xiaomi has also released external add-ons that snap like a cover onto the camera, as well as a USB-based accessory that provides hardware buttons for taking videos or photos. While these add-ons don’t add much in the way of features, they make it easier to operate the camera with one hand.
Aside from the camera, Xiaomi has packed its phone with premium components to rival the best phones of the year. I’ll talk about the camera in detail, but let me digress from the rest of the hardware description.
Computing machinery
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra uses Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processors, which will be the choice of flagships this year. On the front, there is a 6.9-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1200 x 2608 pixels and a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
The screen is quite bright with a maximum brightness of 3,500 nits. This is convenient for operating the phone in bright conditions and also provides a good video watching experience.
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The 6,000 mAh battery is probably one of the best results of the silicon/carbon ion technology used by Xiaomi. Given the huge battery size, it can last you a few days of light to medium usage and has good standby time too. While the battery is big, the phone is still lighter than the iPhone Pro Max, so that’s also a win for the company’s engineering team.
The phone supports 90W wired charging and you can use the charger provided by Xiaomi with the phone or any charger based on PD (Power Delivery) 3.0 or PPS (Programmable Power Supply). It also supports 50W with Xiaomi’s charger.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has 16GB of RAM and two memory options of 512GB and 1TB.
Camera
Xiaomi uses a 1-inch 50-magapixel sensor with f/1.67 aperture for the main camera, aiming to gather more light. The camera takes sharp and vivid photos without losing white balance. The sensor is good at capturing details in different lighting conditions. Just like the iPhone Pro Max, with the main camera, you can switch between 23mm, 28mm and 35mm equivalent framing.
The phone has a rather unique 200-megapixel telephoto lens. Instead of offering stepped optical zoom options like 2x and 4x, it has continuous optical zoom from 3.2x to 4.3x. At first glance, this doesn’t seem like much, but when you’re taking pictures of pets or framing certain objects in the frame, it’s very convenient. One limitation is that in the camera’s user interface, you can easily switch to focal lengths of 75mm, 85mm, 90mm and 100mm, but you have to press down on the zoom control and move around the dialer if you want to get to other focal lengths between 75mm and 100mm.
The company uses a 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture. This lens is also useful for very impressive macro shots. For the most part, this camera is adequate, but it loses a bit of detail compared to the other two cameras in some shots. There’s also a 50-megapixel selfie camera, but remember to turn off all beauty filters.
The camera controls are a standard affair, but the option to take a photo of a different-looking object is plentiful. By default, the camera follows an authentic Leica color scheme, but with one tap, you can change it to Leica Vibrant. There is a filter option that gives you options like positive and negative film. Leica-specific filters such as vivid, natural, black and white, speia and blue. and Xiaomi’s own filters such as cinematic, monsoon, teal mist and scarlet.
The company’s two add-ons are called The 17 Ultra Photography Kit and The 17 Ultra Photography Kit Pro. The basic version works like a cover and snaps directly onto the phone. It connects to the phone via Bluetooth, has a two-stage shutter button (for autofocus and shooting) and a video recording button. The case uses contact charging for its battery.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Photography Kit Pro has a cover and another controller that looks like a camera grip that connects to the phone via USB-C. The Kit Pro also has a 2,000 mAh battery to power its operation. The grip allows you to easily hold the phone with one hand.
At the top of the grip, there is a dedicated shutter button and a video recording button. There’s also another customizable dial that can control exposure, filters, ISO, shutter speed or white balance. You can also use this dial to browse the collection. Kit Pro also comes with a ring where you can fit compatible 67mm camera filters.
I used the Kit Pro consistently when out and about because I could easily grab the phone with one hand and take photos with multiple camera controls in my hands. Plus, using a camera-like plugin made taking photos and videos fun. I really appreciated having a hardware zoom control.
Both kits enable an in-camera fastshot software mode, which features easy-to-reach controls for street photography.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra will face competition in the global market from upcoming devices such as the Vivo X300 Ultra, which also features a stylish photography kit that includes a 2.35x telephoto extension, and the Oppo Find X9. But due to its previous phone launch, Xiaomi can enjoy this momentum. Aside from the camera, the phone packs a lot of punch if you’re okay with a large camera housing on the back.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra starts at €1,499 in Europe. The Photography Kit costs €99.99 and the Photography Kit Pro €199.99.
