I used the Xiaomi 17 Ultra for two weeks, and it makes the Galaxy S26 Ultra obsolete — this is the flagship camera upgrade you actually deserve
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It started with Wordle; I enjoy doing the puzzle daily, so I pulled up the NYT Games app on my Xiaomi 17 Ultra only to see that it crashed upon launching. So I went into the settings and cleared storage, and the app worked. But when I launched it the following day, it was the same problem. I ultimately decided to just do the puzzle via the browser.
Thankfully, this was the only problem I noticed on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra in the two weeks I used the phone as my daily driver. Now, I’ve had dozens of problems with the software on Xiaomi phones over the last decade, but to the brand’s credit, it did a good job addressing long-standing issues like memory management and notification problems.
Other than a few errant crashes, the Android 16-based software on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra has been reliable to use, and that’s a good thing — it means that Xiaomi is finally learning from past mistakes. On that note, while it isn’t an issue as such, Xiaomi needs to overhaul notification pulldown gestures; ColorOS and OriginOS do a better job, and if the brand can just “borrow” how its Chinese rivals handle notifications, I wouldn’t have anything to complain about with the software on Xiaomi phones.
Actually, as we’re on the subject, Xiaomi needs to do a better job rolling out long-term updates. Okay, that’s definitely the last of my quibbles with the phone. Well, Xiaomi could do with a visual refresh of the UI, but other than that, the software on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is decent.
I began with the software, because that ultimately determines which phone I use as my daily driver. Chinese phone manufacturers have solved the fundamentals; whether it’s the Find X9 Pro, Vivo X300 Pro, or the Realme GT 8 Pro, you get the latest internals, huge batteries, vibrant OLED panels with meaningful customizability, fluid software, and standout cameras.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is no different; I used all the preceding Ultra phones the brand rolled out, and there’s no question that the brand is delivering decent upgrades this year. Xiaomi is still using a 1-inch sensor for the 50MP main camera, and there’s a new 200MP tele lens, 50MP wide-angle, and a 50MP lens at the front.
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Xiaomi is once again leveraging its Leica collaboration to good effect, and you get a decent set of custom modes and shooting styles. Now, there’s a dedicated Leica Edition of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra with a mechanical zoom ring, but that’s limited to China — the model I’m using is the global Xiaomi 17 Ultra that made its debut at Mobile World Congress at 2026. The phone is going on sale in the U.K., India, and other global markets, where it starts at the equivalent of €1,499 ($1,770) and £1,299 ($1,750) in the U.K. Obviously, that’s close to what you’d pay for a foldable, and it’s clear that the RAM shortage is driving prices to never-before-seen levels.
The 200MP zoom lens is of particular interest as the module gets continual optical zoom going from 3.2x to 4.3x. The zoom lens is the one I end up using the most as it doubles as a portrait shooter, and Xiaomi made heady gains in this area from previous years. Vivo’s X300 Pro still has an edge, but it’s a slender lead at this point — the Xiaomi 17 Ultra takes portraits that are technically just as good, but I prefer Vivo’s tuning a little better.
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That said, the 50MP main camera on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is nothing short of extraordinary. The phone takes outstanding shots in just about any scenario, and I got detailed photos in challenging low-light conditions. The only quibble I have with the camera is that it doesn’t do as good a job with fast-moving subjects — like a toddler running around the house.
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Xiaomi’s image tuning is better than last year, with the phone delivering photos with true-to-life colors. Xiaomi nailed the technicalities, and there really isn’t anything to fault with any of the cameras this time — I enjoyed using the wide-angle lens too. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra did a great job with videos as well; all rear cameras have the ability to shoot 4K60 Dolby Vision video, and there’s decent stabilization and good color rendition.
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Xiaomi went out of its way to highlight its Leica collaboration; there’s a Leica logo on the rear of the phone, and the camera island itself has Leica branding. On that subject, the phone feels better in-hand than last year; it has a flat design, and the rounded edges make a difference when it comes to usability.
I really like what Xiaomi did with the design this year; the green model looks exquisite, and it has a satin texture that feels great to hold — it looks every bit as high-end as the Vivo X300 Pro. The green color extends to the sides as well, and the matte texture on the mid-frame contrasts well with the satin finish at the rear.
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The camera island dominates the design, and its positioning means there’s no wobble when using the phone on a table. Xiaomi did a good job with weight distribution as well, and I didn’t get the feeling that the phone is top-heavy. Instead of a traditional volume rocker, Xiaomi is using dedicated up and down volume buttons, and they’re better in my view.
Interestingly, you don’t get any extra buttons; there’s no camera control button, no shortcut key to launch an AI assistant, or any other extraneous buttons that clutter the device. That’s refreshing in a way, and I like what Xiaomi did with the design of the phone. It gets IP68ingress protection, but the global model misses out on IP69. Durability is good — I don’t see any damage on the device even after a few tumbles.
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Switching over to the front, Xiaomi went with a bigger 6.9-inch panel this time, but because of thinner bezels, the phone isn’t noticeably wider or taller than the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, and that’s a good thing. If anything, it’s better to hold and use than the Galaxy S26 Ultra even though it’s a little heavier at 219g.
The 6.9-inch AMOLED has exquisite colors, and it gets brighter this year. I used the phone outdoors on an usually-hot day in Bengaluru, and didn’t have any issues. Xiaomi always does a great job calibrating its panels out of the box, and that’s no different this year. In addition, you get extensive customizability when it comes to adjusting the color balance on your Xiaomi 17 Ultra, and there are decent eye comfort features.
Viewing Dolby Vision content on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is an absolute joy, and the phone holds up just as well at gaming. Granted, I just played Balatro on the phone alongside a few runs of Dead Cells, but it did a great job. I tested demanding games as well, and like other 2026 flagships, it handles visually-intensive titles without breaking a sweat.
It tends to get hot, but that is the case with all Qualcomm-powered phones I tested this year, and it doesn’t get any warmer than the iQOO 15 or Realme GT 8 Pro during extended gaming sessions. What I like about Xiaomi phones is that you get all the high-res codecs you need; the phone has the full AptX suite — including AptX Adaptive — and you get LHDC 5.0, giving you the ability to stream lossless media to headsets or buds that use these codecs.
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Xiaomi doesn’t have a telephoto lens attachment — unlike what OPPO and Vivo are doing on their phones — but the brand continues to roll out its Photography Kit accessory that includes a custom case and a grip. This time, you get two variants, and the Kit Pro comes with a detachable grip and is a delight to use. The grip includes camera controls and a shutter button, and it mimics the feel of using a digital camera, even if it adds a little bulk and heft to the phone.
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The regular kit is a decent choice if you don’t want to add too much bulk to the phone, but you miss out on the versatility of just being able to use the case. Either way, the accessory bundle is polished, and Xiaomi did a good job in this area. I would’ve liked Xiaomi to deliver a dedicated camera lens attachment, but that looks to be a little while away.
Now, what Xiaomi actually got right is the hardware; the 17 Ultra has the latest available internals, and the phone comes with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage. It is just as fast as the other flagships I used in recent months, and I have no issues when it comes to the internals.
The only gremlin I noticed is that the phone didn’t connect to my home’s 6GHz band — it was on the 5GHz channel. Now, the Xiaomi Pad 8 and Find X9 Pro don’t have this problem, so I don’t really know why the 17 Ultra was limited to the 5GHz band. As these things go, it’s a pretty minor inconvenience. I didn’t have any issues with Bluetooth, NFC, or making calls with the device. The vibration motor is pretty good too, and it has detailed feedback while using the keyboard and navigating the UI.
Battery life is an area where Chinese phones dominate, and the 17 Ultra has a 6,000mAh battery that lasts over a day without breaking a sweat. Even with heavy use involving local travel and navigation, the 17 Ultra lasted all day without any issues. And when it comes to charging, the phone retains Xiaomi’s 90W charging tech, and it takes under 50 minutes to charge fully.
The Chinese model has a bigger 6,800mAh battery, so it is annoying to see the global variant being limited in this area, but even then, I didn’t see any issues getting the phone to last all day.
Overall, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is just better to use than its predecessors. The changes to the design make it easier to hold and use, and the upgrades to the cameras along with the new tuning algorithms give the phone a distinct advantage. There’s no question that the 17 Ultra is better than the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro XL, and if anything, it is on an equal footing with the Find X9 Pro and Vivo X300 Pro. The differences are all down to what kind of image tuning you prefer, but when it comes to the technical details, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is undoubtedly one of the best camera phones of 2026 — and I’m excited that it is now available globally.
