Xiaomi 17 Ultra
Announced December 25, 2025
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Strong
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a powerful, photography-focused flagship that functions more like a dedicated camera than a typical smartphone. While it delivers outstanding image quality and versatile hardware, the experience is hindered by bulky ergonomics, bloatware-heavy software, and a premium price tag.
Weighted from 48 reviewer scores
Pros
- Exceptional camera performance featuring a large 1-inch sensor, Leica color profiles, and continuous optical zoom
- Top-tier processing power and fluid daily performance
- Bright, vibrant, and high-quality display
- Reliable battery life with fast wired and wireless charging capabilities
- Useful photography-centric accessories like the grip and physical controls
Cons
- Cluttered software interface with excessive bloatware and inconsistent update support
- Heavy, bulky, and top-heavy design that compromises comfort
- High retail price and lack of included accessories like a charger
- Inconsistent camera performance in specific scenarios like macro, low light, or with moving subjects
- Limited zoom range and occasional issues with lens-to-lens consistency
- Launch price $1,767 (USD)
- Main camera 50MP f/1.67 + 50MP Ultrawide + 200MP 3.2x Telephoto
- Video 8K 30p
- Display 6.9-inch OLED 120Hz
- Chipset Snapdragon 8 Elite 16GB
What the Reviewers Say
All 48 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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- PetaPixel 8/10
For the rest of the world that will easily have access to this product, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra feels and delivers like a real camera.
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The Xiaomi 17 Ultra delivers an excellent performance in the DXOMARK Camera tests. In many test areas it is a significant upgrade over its predecessor 15 Ultra and is getting close to the very best flagship devices on the market – without quite matching them, however.
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The Xiaomi 17 Ultra remains the best smartphone for photographers if we’re coming it at purely from a camera setup point of view.
- Android Authority 9/10
For photographers and videographers — especially zoom lovers — the Xiaomi 17 Ultra stands above its rivals in image quality. It’s also a superb all-around flagship with top-tier performance, strong battery life, fast charging, and a gorgeous display.
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The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is an excellent all-rounder with incredible cameras, speedy performance, an excellent screen and speakers, solid battery life, and speedy charging. There's something for everyone here, but photographers are sure to love it the most.
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It’s also blisteringly fast, handling demanding edits with ease. However, lens-to-lens color inconsistencies, a mechanically clever but modest zoom range, and slightly weaker macro hold it back from being the complete package.
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The Xiaomi 17 Ultra delivers on almost every front, with Xiaomi making particular strides in design and thermal performance. This is a powerful, fast-charging uber-flagship with a Leica-tuned camera system that's hard to beat.
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If photography is your priority, it’s honestly very hard to argue against it.
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It's not perfect as such, but it's still, I think, the best phone camera that I have ever used, and it's certainly the one I would most want to have in my pocket on a photography outing.
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There's no doubt that the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is one of the best camera phones of 2026.
- Android Police 8/10
It’s a shame Xiaomi hasn’t nailed the fundamentals with the 17 Ultra, because the camera is fantastic, and a return to form after the 15 Ultra’s slight misstep.
- PhoneArena 8/10
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a phone that sounds exceptional on paper, but using it in real life reveals some shortcomings that only become apparent when you handle the device yourself.
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It’s a great package for a flagship smartphone.
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On paper, all other aspects of the globally-released Xiaomi 17 Ultra are the same - it's an impressive powerhouse of a phone as the Chinese model - Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, flat and bright 6.9-inch LPTO OLED display, and potent and versatile camera hardware.
- 91mobiles.com 8.7/10
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra makes its priorities clear from the moment you pick it up, and it delivers on them convincingly.
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The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a strong option if you prefer your phones to be big, powerful, and outstanding at photography. Its formidable camera system offers one of the finest zoom provisions I’ve ever seen in a phone, while the main camera produces shots of unusual clarity.
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I would say first it's a camera then of course it's a flagship for what do you say smartphone and I would say for even a Nova it's in auto mode. I shot most of the pics in auto mode.
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The Xiaomi 17 Ultra does, at times, feel like using a camera that happens to be an Android phone.
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I have my problems with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra – the software is still among my least favourites, the camera module is too chunky and the lower screen resolution and cheap feeling of the fiberglass rear don’t befit a phone of this price.
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It’s not a battery champ and is rather pricey, but photographers won’t mind: the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a simply outstanding cameraphone with epic performance and streamlined software.
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I really enjoy what the video files look like from the 17 Ultra.
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This is my favorite phone I've used. It's a phenomenal piece of imaging technology.
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Definitely one of the best phones I've tested in 2026 so far.
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[X]iaomi has once again made one of the best Ultra phones on the market.
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As the latest in a line of great camera phones, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra has a lot to live up to. But the good news is this phone delivers, and in spades.
- CGMagazine 8.5/10
With its outstanding camera system, bright flat display and reliable battery life, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra stands out as a serious creative tool rather than just another premium smartphone.
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If you love photography, you may have many reasons why you can't buy a real Leica M camera, but you really have no reason not to buy a Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica.
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The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is representative of what the best of the best Android phones right now can be. It gets the basics right, like offering top-level performance and a great-looking screen, but it goes the extra mile in one area specifically — the camera.
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[T]he image quality on the whole is superb.
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[I]f your preferred brand is Xiaomi, then this is the best phone you could get from the company.
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[Y]ou're still going to get some excellent camera system back with real Leica character, build quality that has held up better than expected, a display that keeps impressing the longer you use it, and battery life that holds up under real daily pressure [...]
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The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a hardware masterpiece that is currently being held back by its own software. If you want the absolute best camera hardware and a screen that can rival the sun, this is it.
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[T]he Xiaomi 17 Ultra a major major major go.
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Now, all in all, I actually took more than 2,000 photos with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, and I just feel that the 17 Ultra's camera is again something that's very aesthetically pleasing.
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The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has some of the best cameras we've tested in a phone. When you add in an asking price that undercuts the closest competition, you get a very compelling alternative to the usual suspects.
- Geek Culture 8.8/10
While its flat-edged look is a change, the best parts of its essence remain true to form: snappy performance, excellent imaging, and an attractive display.
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The Xiaomi 17 Ultra offers the most comprehensive smartphone photography setup available in India today.
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If you want an Android phone that is all about the camera and you don’t mind giving up some of the weight savings of the slimmer, smaller camera-bumped alternatives, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra delivers in spades.
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Okay, conclusion time. And for the most part, I really like the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
- Beebom 9/10
Not to forget, it also packs a gorgeous display, strong performance, and a dependable battery. However, the software has adware, and there is a need for a little more polish in the UI.
- Pokde.Net 8.4/10
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the most refined and capable Ultra to date, and one of the best smartphones available right now regardless of brand.
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[I]f you do want something different, you want to change, I would say instead of going for that Galaxy S26 Ultra, get this.
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Xiaomi have done an amazing job at putting this product together.
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With all of the hardware and as mentioned the software and post-processing, this is the best camera phone I've ever used.
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For me personally, I feel like it's a camera first device.
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For anyone seeking the absolute cutting edge in mobile camera technology and is willing to pay a premium for it, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra doesn't just compete with the established flagships—it makes a compelling case to render them obsolete for photography purists.
- The Herald 8/10
A premium smartphone with plenty of the latest high-end features to keep you up to date. With a slim profile around 8.3mm and a weight just under 220g the device feels substantial without being overly bulky.
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For someone who takes their smartphone camera as seriously as this phone takes itself, the price is justified.
