The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has some impressive additions that make taking pictures more fun

In the US, discussions about high-end camera phones mainly focus on iPhones, the Samsung Galaxy series, and, more recently, the Google Pixel. In contrast, people in Asia and parts of Europe are getting a wider choice with companies like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo upping their camera game.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra, recently launched worldwide, is one of those devices, with a large camera bump that houses a set of flexible sensors, and a partnership with the prestigious German camera maker Leica to provide changes and a level of software for how scenes are shot.

The camera has many options to choose from, from different focal lengths on the hardware side to various filters and settings to change how the final image looks.

Xiaomi also released external accessories that appear as a camera cover, as well as a USB-based accessory that provides hardware buttons to shoot video or photos. While these add-ons don’t add many features, they do make one-handed camera operation easier.

Apart from the camera, Xiaomi has packed its phone with high-end features to compete with the best phones of the year. I’ll talk about the camera in detail, but let’s get the whole hardware description out of the way.

Computer hardware

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra uses Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processors, which will be the flagship choice this year. On the front, there is a 6.9-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1200 x 2608 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz.

The screen is very bright at a maximum brightness of 3,500 nits. This helps in using the phone in bright conditions and makes for a great video viewing experience.

The 6,000 mAh battery is probably one of the best results of the Silicon/Carbon-Ion technology used by Xiaomi. Given the size of the battery, it can last for several light to medium days, and has a good standby time. While the battery is bigger, the phone is still lighter than the iPhone Pro Max, so that’s also a win for the company’s engineering team.

The phone supports 90W wireless 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 50W with Xiaomi charger.

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

Camera

Xiaomi uses a 1-inch 50-magapixel sensor with f/1.67 aperture for the main camera, aiming to collect more light. The camera takes sharp and clear images without losing white balance. The sensor is good at capturing details in different lighting conditions. Like the iPhone Pro Max, which has a larger camera, you can switch to 23mm, 28mm, and 35mm equivalent frames.

The phone has a unique 200-megapixel telephoto lens. Instead of offering optical zoom options like 2x and 4x, it has a continuous optical zoom from 3.2x to 4.3x. On the face of it, this doesn’t seem like much, but if you’re taking pictures of your pets or putting some things inside the frame, it’s very useful. One limitation is that in the camera UI, you can easily jump to 75mm, 85mm, 90mm, and 100mm focal lengths, but you need to press down on the zoom control and rotate the dial if you need to access other focal lengths between 75mm and 100mm.

The company uses a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera with f/2.2 aperture. This lens is also useful for large shots that are very impressive. Overall, this camera is adequate, but it loses a little detail compared to the other two cameras in some images. There’s also a 50-megapixel selfie camera, but remember to turn off all beauty filters.

The camera controls are standard affairs, but the option for you to get a picture of the same object with a different look is great. By default, the camera follows the original Leica color scheme, but with one tap, you can change it to Leica Vibrant. There is a filter option that gives you options like good and bad movie; Leica-specific filters such as clear, natural, black and white, speia, and blue; and Xiaomi’s own filters such as cinematic, monsoon, teal fog, and red.

The company’s two add-ons are called the 17 Ultra Photography Kit and the 17 Ultra Photography Kit Pro. The base version acts as a cover and fits directly into 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 a charging contact from its battery.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Photography Kit Pro packs a cover and another camera-like controller that attaches to the phone via USB-C. The Kit Pro also has a 2,000 mAh battery for optimal performance. The grip allows you to hold the phone with one hand easily.

Above the grip, there is a dedicated shutter button and video recording button. There are also other customizable dials that can control exposure, filters, ISO, shutter speed, or white balance. You can also use this link to explore the gallery. The Kit Pro comes with a ring, where you can fit the corresponding filters of the 67 mm camera.

I used the Kit Pro regularly when I was roaming the streets because I could hold the phone with one hand and take pictures with multiple camera controls in my hands. Also, using an add-on like a camera made it fun to take pictures and videos. I really appreciated having the hardware zoom control.

Both kits activate a fastshot software mode inside the camera, with easy-to-reach controls for street photography.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra will face competition in the global market from upcoming devices such as the Vivo X300 Ultra, which also has a swanky photography kit including a 2.35x telephoto extender, and the Oppo Find X9. But thanks to the previous launch of its phone, Xiaomi may enjoy this momentum. Apart from the camera, the phone packs a punch if you’re okay with a large camera housing on the back.

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