Xiaomi 17 Ultra Might Debut This Month; Leak Points to Enhanced Leica Optics

Xiaomi Ultra phones usually launch in February, but we keep hearing reports that the new Xiaomi 17 Ultra may debut in December. That is two months too early, and rather surprising to hear. A new leak has reported the launch timeframe again and confirmed some optical upgrades for this device. 

The report came from Smart Pikachu, who’s pretty active these days in the rumor ville. Apparently, a top-of-the-line flagship model is headed this way with LEICA branding. The leaker may not have mentioned the device by name, but industry watchers already know this is the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.

Xiaomi’s flagship handsets, at least for the last few generations, have had Leica-tuned camera setups. The leak we have here reports the same thing. The standard 17 and 17 Pro models have all come out. Only the Ultra phone remains in the pipeline.

Optics are everything, and they matter more than any software optimizations you throw on a mobile camera setup. Xiaomi has always championed that concept, and that reflects on its Ultra devices. They are now working with LEICA to develop a new anti-chromatic aberration coating for the latest Xiaomi Ultra mobile.

This new coating will also reduce internal reflection even more than before. The photos shot on Xiaomi 17 Ultra will look even crisper with better visual fidelity. This leak came with limited information. Some early reports have confirmed that one camera will be skipped this time.

The extra telephoto shooter that usually comes with Ultra devices is no longer there. A 50MP 1” primary sensor will be used instead. There’s also a 200MP periscope telephoto shooter in the group next to a 50MP Ultrawide camera. The setup isn’t as over-the-top as before, but it’s certainly more functional.

They are obviously giving the Xiaomi 17 Ultra a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip for the best performance. Plus, there’s going to be at least a 7000mAh battery on this handset for backup. The newcomer is probably launching this month, if the rumors are to be believed. The company will soon make it offical. Keep watching the news for updates.