Xiaomi has unveiled its latest flagship smartphones to the global market, introducing the Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra, along with a special Leica-branded Leitzphone edition of the Ultra. Noticeably absent from this global launch is the Xiaomi 17 Pro, which had previously made waves in China with its unique additional display situated next to the rear cameras.

These newly launched devices are set to hit the shelves soon across the UK, Europe, and select other regions. The Xiaomi 17 is positioned as a strong contender against industry giants like the iPhone 17 and Samsung Galaxy S26, carrying a price tag of £899 / €999, approximately $1,200. Its larger sibling, the 17 Ultra, starts at £1,299 / €1,499, or around $1,750. For those seeking exclusivity, the Leitzphone edition, boasting 16GB of RAM and a whopping 1TB of storage, is priced at £1,699 / €1,999, about $2,300, and comes with additional accessories.

The Xiaomi 17, although compact, packs a punch with its 6.3-inch OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, and a substantial 6,330mAh silicon-carbon battery—though it’s worth mentioning that this is a tad smaller than the 7,000mAh model available in China. During a week-long trial as my primary device, the battery performance was notably impressive, comfortably lasting beyond a full day but falling short of two full days under typical use. This endurance surpasses that of similar-sized offerings from Apple, Samsung, and Google.

Photography enthusiasts will appreciate the 17’s camera prowess. Each of its four lenses, including the selfie shooter, is equipped with 50-megapixel sensors, offering a formidable camera system for its size.

The 17 Ultra, as expected, ramps things up a notch. It features a larger 6.9-inch display and weighs in at a substantial 218g. Despite its heft, the Ultra’s 6,000mAh battery manages to deliver performance akin to its smaller counterpart.

However, it’s the Ultra’s camera capabilities that steal the show. Equipped with 50-megapixel sensors for each of the main, ultrawide, and selfie cameras, the primary lens also boasts a large 1-inch-type sensor. The star of the show is undoubtedly the periscope telephoto lens, offering a remarkable 200-megapixel resolution, a large 1/1.4-inch sensor, and continuous optical zoom from 3.2x to 4.3x, equivalent to 75-100mm. While Sony’s Xperia 1 IV pioneered the true zoom phone concept back in 2022, Xiaomi’s telephoto camera sets a new benchmark with its superior capabilities, delivering natural bokeh and impressive low-light performance.

The camera capabilities are supported by Xiaomi’s ongoing photography partner Leica, but it’s the pair’s Leitzphone that really emphasizes that. Slightly redesigned from the 17 Ultra Leica Edition that was released in China last December, this includes Leica branding across the hardware and software, a range of Leica filters and shooting styles, and a rotatable rear camera ring that can be used to control the zoom. It’s the first Leica Leitzphone produced by Xiaomi — after a trio of Japan-only Sharp models — and comes with additional branded accessories, including a case with a lens cap and a microfiber cleaning cloth.

Xiaomi has plenty of other announcements alongside the 17 series phones at MWC this year, including a super-slim magnetic power bank, the Pad 8 and Pad 8 Pro tablets, and a smart tag that supports both Google and Apple’s tech-tracking networks.

Photography by Dominic Preston / The Verge