Xiaomi has launched its Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Ultra (above) and Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi just as Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona grapples with travel chaos and political tension linked to the Middle East war.
The launches, tied to Xiaomi’s presence at MWC 2026, come as airlines cancel and reroute flights across Gulf airspace that have forced thousands of Asian and Australasian delegates to delay or abandon trips and pushing tech brands to lean more heavily on regional events and virtual launches.
Xiaomi’s announcement hinges on an upgraded strategic collaboration with Leica, which has evolved from joint R&D into a deeper strategic co-creation model covering end-to-end imaging design.
Under this arrangement, Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi are positioned as masterpiece mobile imaging flagships that blend Leica’s century of optical expertise with Xiaomi’s custom sensors, software and industrial design.
The Xiaomi 17 series is billed as delivering a full flagship experience, but with camera performance and Leica-style image rendering as its defining feature.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the thinnest and lightest Ultra-branded Xiaomi yet, at 8.29mm thick and as little as 218.4g, with a flat design, ultra-thin bezels and a smaller, less obtrusive camera housing in white, black or starlit green.
It uses Xiaomi’s Guardian Structure with Shield Glass 3.0, a high-strength fibreglass back, aluminum frame and IP68 rating, which together promise stronger drop resistance than the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and better protection against dust and moisture.
Imaging is anchored by Xiaomi’s first one‑inch LOFIC Light Fusion 1050L main sensor and a Leica 200MP 75-100mm telephoto with mechanical optical zoom that can extend to a 400mm equivalent, supporting long-range photography and 4K 120fps Dolby Vision or ACES Log video on both main and telephoto cameras.
The smaller Xiaomi 17 targets users who want a compact imagery flagship, with an 8.06mm profile, 191g weight and ultra-slim 1.18mm bezels despite high-end processing and a large battery.
It features a Light Fusion 950 main sensor with 1/1.31-inch size and 2.4μm 4‑in‑1 Super Pixel, delivering up to 13.5EV of dynamic range, and a Leica 60mm floating telephoto for portraits, 5x optical-level zoom, 10cm macro and 20x AI Ultra Zoom, plus a new 50MP front camera with improved autofocus. Video support includes 4K 60fps Dolby Vision and 4K 60fps Log, aimed at creators who want consistent colour, strong stabilisation and an easier professional workflow from a phone.
Both Xiaomi 17 models run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 platform, combining a 3rd‑gen Oryon CPU, next‑gen Adreno GPU and Hexagon NPU to handle intensive photography, video, multitasking and gaming.
Xiaomi pairs this with its Surge battery tech: Xiaomi 17 Ultra packs a 6000mAh cell with 90W wired and 50W wireless HyperCharge, while Xiaomi 17 steps up to 6330mAh with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, enabled by a high-silicon battery design for higher energy density.
Custom OLED displays with up to 3,500 nits peak brightness, 1-120Hz LTPO refresh and DC dimming, plus a Xiaomi‑custom M10 panel and HyperRGB subpixel layout on the Ultra.
For enthusiasts, Xiaomi 17 Ultra can be paired with the Photography Kit Pro, which adds a PU leather grip inspired by classic Leica bodies, an integrated 2000mAh battery, detachable shutter button and a dedicated Fastshot mode interface.
Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi doubles down on Leica’s design language, with an aluminium alloy body, nickel-anodised finish, a tactile Leica Camera Ring dial and Leica Essential mode that emulates the look of cameras such as the Leica M9 and Leica M3 with Monopan 50 film.
Xiaomi is also leveraging MWC to showcase the Xiaomi Vision Gran Turismo all-electric hypercar concept for Gran Turismo 7 that will be displayed at its booth (Hall 3, 3M30).
Entelechy Asia 