The Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra launched in China at the end of Q3 last year – so if you’ve written them off as China-only phones you can’t buy, it’s time to take a second look as they’re now launching in new markets.
Apart from the expected reduction in battery capacity for the global models, there are no surprises on their spec sheets. Also, the 17 Pro is not part of the global rollout, but we’ll talk about that in a second.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra brings serious camera hardware. It is equipped with a 50MP 1″-type Light Fusion 1050L sensor with LOFIC HDR and other improvements. The 200MP telephoto camera (1/1.4″ sensor) has a variable focal length lens that moves smoothly between 75mm and 100mm. This is joined by a 50MP 115° ultra-wide on the back. The front-facing camera is another 50MP module. The new Ultra 4K can record Dolby Vision and log video at up to 120fps.
The 17 Ultra is thinner than its predecessor, with its thickness reduced from 9.4mm to 8.3mm. Starlit Green features glowing pieces of minerals, while the other two options (black and white) use composite fiberglass material.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra sports a 200MP 75-100mm variable focal length tele camera
The phone has a larger 6.9” LTPO display (up from 6.73”). Although its resolution is technically lower (1,200 x 2,608px vs. 1,440 x 3,200px), note that this is a HyperRGB panel, which is what Xiaomi calls its displays that feature the full RGB strip. Plus, the Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0 on top is 30% more drop-resistant than the glass used on the 15 Ultra.
Xiaomi will introduce two camera grips for photography enthusiasts. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra photography kit has been stripped down and weighs just 48 grams. It has a customizable two-stage shutter button and a dedicated video-recording button. It has a slimy texture and comes in black, white and purple colors.
There’s also the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Photography Kit Pro, whose design takes inspiration from the iconic Leica cameras and is closer to the 15 Ultra Kit. It features grippy PU leather, a thumb support, and a detachable shutter button. It also includes a 2,000mAh battery to extend the battery life of the phone.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra Photography Kit and Kit Pro
The global Xiaomi 17 Ultra runs on a 6,000mAh battery (down from the 6,800mAh of the Chinese units). It supports 90W fast wired charging (PPS compatible), 50W fast wireless, and even 22.5W reverse-wired charging.
Next up, the small but mighty Xiaomi 17. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, like its Ultra sibling. And it has an even bigger battery – 6,330mAh on the global model (7,000mAh for Chinese). It supports 100W wired charging (including PPS), 50W wireless, and 22.5W reverse charging.
Xiaomi 17
This model features a 6.3″ display, 1-120Hz LTPO panel on the front. As we mentioned above, the Pro version isn’t available, so there’s no way to get a rear display.
Additionally, the camera system is different. The Xiaomi 17 is equipped with a 50MP Lite Fusion 950 sensor (1/1.31″), a 2.6x/60mm 50MP telephoto module with a floating lens for macro shots (as close as 10cm) and a 50MP ultra-wide (102°), as well as a 50MP selfie camera (90°). The main difference here (besides the rear display) is that the Pro has a longer 5x/115mm telephoto. lens, but alas, it is not available outside China.
The Xiaomi 17 features a 6M42 aluminum frame, Xiaomi Shield Glass on the front, and matte glass on the back. It’s available in Ice Blue, Alpine Pink, and Black, plus (new this year) Venture Green.
We’ve reviewed the global Xiaomi 17 Ultra, check it out, even if you’ve already read our review of the Chinese 17 Ultra – among other things, we re-tested battery life and charging speeds. We also have a video review for you to watch.
We also have a review of the Xiaomi 17 – Phones with 6.3″ displays are now much more common than they have been in years past. Did you immediately scroll down to see pricing information? It’s okay to admit it, we were also most curious about it. Well, there you go.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra can be yours for €1,499/£1,299 in Black, White and Starlit Green with a 16GB/512GB base memory configuration. The handset is also available with 1TB storage. As for the Xiaomi 17, it starts at €999/£899 for the 12GB/256GB option. An improved 12GB/512GB variant is also available. The color options are Black, Venture Green, Alpine Pink and Ice Blue.
Xiaomi is also launching a dedicated photography kit for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, and it comes in three colors – Black, White, and Purple and is asking $199 for it. There is also a Pro version of the photography kit, but it only comes in black and costs twice as much – €199.
Well, Xiaomi is also launching Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro, Watch S5, Redmi Buds 8 Pro and Xiaomi Tag globally. We will soon bring practical articles for them.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra 5G
| 512GB 16GB RAM | €1,424.90 |
£1,299.00 |
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Xiaomi 17 5G
| 512GB 12GB RAM | €1,044.90 |
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