Photography nerds rejoice! We have something special for you today! Not only because it has a Leica in the name, but also because it is a Xiaomi Ultra. Say hello to Leica’s Xiaomi 17 Ultra, a special edition of the mainstream flagship with more than one unique thing! Let’s talk about it!
Starting with the unboxing, Leica’s Xiaomi 17 Ultra comes with some very photocentric accessories in the box, which is understandable given the higher price: the Leica edition costs CNY 7,999 or CNY 8,999 (512GB or 1TB), compared to CNY 6,999-8,499 for the regular phone.
You get the phone, a 100W charger, and a nice braided USB-A to USB-C cable. You also get a nice case, a special metal Leica lens cap for the case, a nice red wrist strap that matches the case, and a leather cleaning cloth.
Unboxing of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra from Leica
So what else is special about the Xiaomi 17 Ultra from Leica? Well, the phone comes in a unique two-tone finish, inspired by Leica cameras: the bottom half is a kind of leatherette and the top mimics the top plate of Leica M cameras. There’s even a Red Dot logo!
But the Leicaness of this Xiaomi 17 Ultra goes deeper than the surface. The phone also comes preloaded with two special Leica themes, something not found on the regular Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra from Leica
But there’s more. Unlike the normal phone, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra from Leica has a knurled frame for better grip, as well as the writing “Leica Camera Germany” on the left edge.
A sign that this is a special edition
And it doesn’t end here. Another unique feature of the Leica Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the Control Ring – a ring that mechanically rotates around the camera island, which zooms between focal lengths (and cameras).
There’s also some in-depth, high-end color tuning going on within the camera system software. Xiaomi has preloaded the phone with a few special shooting modes, specifically optimized to evoke specific Leica “looks”. One is the Leica M9: photography enthusiasts will know that it is Leica’s first full-frame digital rangefinder camera, featuring a special CCD (not CMOS) sensor developed by Kodak, which today has gained biblical status for its distinctive colors.
Another mode is the Leica M3 + Monopan 50, which produces a contrasted black-and-white look with almost completely black shadows.
Then there’s the Xiaomi 17 Ultra under all the special Leica sauce! It’s a very capable camera-focused Android flagship that’s overflowing with high-end specs to the max. New this year is the 75mm to 100mm f/2.39 – f/2.96 variable zoom camera, a move away from the two independent zoom cameras: a 70mm f/1.8 and a 100mm f/2.6. The sensor underneath is the impressive 200MP 1/1.4-inch unit that has pretty much dominated the zoom camera space for the last couple of years.
We’ll have to check whether the superlative quality we saw in the Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s zoom shots has carried over here too.
Zoom between 75mm and 100mm
Finally, Leica’s Xiaomi 17 Ultra is slightly larger than the Xiaomi 15 Ultra to accommodate a slightly larger 6.9-inch display. However, Xiaomi has shrunk the bezels and reduced the thickness by 1mm to compensate, meaning you won’t notice any difference if you hold both phones next to each other.
Leica’s Xiaomi 17 Ultra in your hand
Guys, there’s a lot going on with Leica’s Xiaomi 17 Ultra. We will try to be as fast as possible, but we ask for your patience!
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