The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has some great extras that make taking photos really fun

In the US, discussions about high-end camera phones largely revolve around the iPhone, the Samsung Galaxy series, and more recently the Google Pixel. In contrast, people in Asia and parts of Europe are getting a wider range of options with companies like Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo working to improve their camera performance.

The recently launched globally Xiaomi 17 Ultra is one such device, with a large camera bump housing a variety of sensors, and a partnership with popular German camera maker Leica to provide software-level changes and sensitivities to how scenes are shot.

The camera has a lot of options to choose from, from different focal lengths on the hardware side to different filters and settings to change the look of the final image.

Xiaomi has also released third-party add-ons that attach like a camera cover, as well as a USB-based accessory that provides hardware buttons for taking video or photos. Although these add-ons don’t add particularly many features, they do make operating the camera with one hand easier.

In addition to the camera, Xiaomi has equipped its phone with the best components to compete with the best phones of the year. I’ll talk about the camera in detail, but let me get to the rest of the hardware description.

Devices

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra uses Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor, which will be the choice of flagship phones 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 very bright at a peak brightness of 3,500 nits. This is useful in operating the phone in bright lighting conditions and also provides a good video viewing experience.

The 6,000 mAh battery is probably one of the best results of the silicon/carbon-ion technology that Xiaomi uses. Due to the large size of the battery, it can last for a few days of light to moderate use, and it has a good standby time. Although the battery is large, the phone is still lighter than the iPhone Pro Max, which is 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 50 watts with Xiaomi’s own charger.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has 16GB of RAM and two memory options of 512GB and 1TB.

camera

Xiaomi is using a 1-inch 50MP sensor with an f/1.67 aperture for the main camera, aiming to collect more light. The camera captures sharp and vivid images 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 to 23mm, 28mm and 35mm equivalent frames.

The phone has a unique 200-megapixel telephoto lens. Instead of offering progressive optical zoom options like 2x and 4x, it has continuous optical zoom from 3.2x to 4.3x. On the face of it, this doesn’t seem like much, but when taking photos of pets or framing certain objects within the frame, it comes in very handy. One limitation is that in the camera’s user interface, you can easily jump to 75mm, 85mm, 90mm and 100mm focal lengths, but you need to press the zoom control and move around the dialer if you want to access 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 nice macro shots. By and large, this camera is adequate, but it does lose some detail compared to the other two cameras in certain shots. There’s also a 50MP selfie camera, but remember to turn off all the beauty filters.

The camera controls are standard, but the option you have to get a photo of a single object in different shapes is great. By default, the camera follows the original Leica color system, but with one click, you can change it to Leica Vibrant. There is a filter option that gives you options such as positive and negative film; Leica-specific filters such as Vivid, Natural, Black, White, Spiral and Blue; And Xiaomi’s own filters such as Cinema, Monsoon, Greenish Haze and Vermilion.

The company’s two add-ons are called The 17 Ultra Photography Kit and The 17 Ultra Photography Kit Pro. The basic version acts as a cover and snaps right onto the phone. It connects to the phone via Bluetooth, has a two-stage shutter button (for autofocus and stills), 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 camera grip-like controller that connects to the phone via USB-C. The Kit Pro also has a 2000mAh battery to power it. The handle allows you to hold the phone with one hand easily.

At the top of the handle 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 connection to browse through the gallery. The Kit Pro also comes with a ring, where you can attach compatible 67mm camera filters.

I used the Kit Pro constantly when I was out and about on the streets because I could easily hold the phone with one hand and take photos with the plethora of camera controls at my fingertips. Plus, using a camera-like add-on made taking photos and videos fun. I really appreciate having a hardware zoom control.

Both groups activate the in-camera Fastshot software mode, which has easily accessible controls for street photography.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra will face competition in the global market from upcoming devices like the Vivo X300 Ultra, which also has a premium photography suite including a 2.35x zoom extender, and the Oppo Find X9. But due to the early launch of its phone, Xiaomi may enjoy the momentum. Aside from the camera, the phone has a great feature if you prefer a large camera on the back.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra starts at €1,499 in Europe. The Photography Kit is priced at €99.99, and the Pro Photography Kit is priced at €199.99.