Photography nerds rejoice! We have something special for you today! Not only because it has a Leica in the name, but also because it’s a Xiaomi Ultra. Say hello to the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica, a special edition of the mainstream flagship with more than one unique thing about it! Let’s talk about it!
Starting with the unboxing, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica comes with some very photo-centric accessories in the box, which is understandable given the higher price – the Leica edition is 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 goes with the case, and a leather wiping cloth.
Unboxing the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica
So what else is special about the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica? Well, the phone comes in an exclusive dual-tone finish, inspired by Leica cameras – the bottom half is a leatherette of sorts, and the top part mimics the Leica M cameras’ top plate. There’s a Red Dot logo as well!
But the Leica-ness of this Xiaomi 17 Ultra goes deeper than the surface. The phone comes preloaded with two special Leica themes, too – something not found on the regular Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica
But there’s more. Unlike the regular phone, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica has a knurled frame for better hand purchase, as well as a “Leica Camera Germany” inscription on the left edge.
Signs that this is a special edition
And it doesn’t stop there. Another unique feature of the Leica Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the Control Ring – a mechanically-rotating ring around the camera island, which zooms between focal lengths (and cameras).
There’s some high-end, in-depth color tuning going on inside the camera system software, too. Xiaomi has preloaded the phone with a few special shooting modes, specifically tuned to evoke specific Leica “looks”. One is the Leica M9 – photography enthusiasts will know it’s the first full-frame digital Leica rangefinder camera, and it featured a special Kodak-developed CCD (not CMOS) sensor, which has gained biblical status today for its distinctive colors.
Another mode is the Leica M3 + Monopan 50, which produces a contrasty black and white look with nearly fully black shadows.
Then there’s the Xiaomi 17 Ultra underneath all the special Leica sauce! It’s a very capable camera-centric Android flagship that’s brimming to the max with high-end specs. New this year is the 75mm to 100mm f/2.39 – f/2.96 variable zoom camera – moving 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 basically dominated the zoom camera space in the last two years.
We’ll need to test whether the superlative quality we saw in the Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s zoom snaps has been carried over here.
Zooming between 75mm and 100mm
Finally, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica is ever-so-slightly larger than the Xiaomi 15 Ultra to accommodate a slightly larger 6.9-inch display. However, Xiaomi has shrunk the bezels and shaved off 1mm of thickness to compensate, all of which means you won’t notice a difference if you hold both phones side by side.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica in the hand
Boy, there’s a whole lot to go through with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica. We’ll try to be as fast as we can, but we ask for your patience!