Xiaomi 17 Ultra review: Is this the new premium camera powerhouse?
Last Updated: 2026-05-05 14:45:09
Xiaomi is going through a paradigm shift with its new premium ideology and it feels the products are there to make a strong claim for this change. The Ultra series is a good example of its prowess, albeit with certain limitations and the obvious brand goodwill which continues to circle around the ‘value for money’ quotient.
So how does a brand elevate its position among the consumers? It shows the products that can bring the change and the new Xiaomi 17 Ultra looks to build on the previous models the brand has launched in the market. That premiumness has become costlier than before and you are being asked to pay iPhone-level money for the 17 Ultra in the market. But does that package from Xiaomi (and the camera) have enough oomph and substance to make the cut?
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Ultra looks
Xiaomi is giving you a big and bulky 17 Ultra and most of its design is based on what is inside the device. That said, you cannot deny that the balance of the phone does not make it uneasy to use.
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You also have a 6.9-inch footprint with 8.3mm thickness but durability improved thanks to IP68 and IP69 rating for dust and water resistance.
You also have a solid build quality added into the mix and the 17 Ultra does well to justify its premium tag. The large camera island is also part of the hardware setup preferred by the brand but the subtle touches, including the round buttons on the side give the differentiating appeal.
Ultra screen
The 6.9-inch screen gets an AMOLED 68B colour panel with LTPO adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz and 3,500 nits of peak brightness. The display gets Xiaomi’s Shield Glass 3.0 protection which held well during our brief time with the device and handled most of the rough usage without showing major wear and tear.
The big screen delivers sharp colours and crisp details with deep blacks that are pleasing to the eye. There is a lot of screen estate for watching videos and even the regular browsing which might appeal to people who prefer big phones and the 17 Ultra fits right into their alley.
The Ultra power
Xiaomi is giving you the best available hardware in the form of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage as the only option selling in the country. When you factor in the ongoing memory shortage issue, offering the higher model allows the brand to charge that much higher for the 17 Ultra which most people seem to have accepted.
This is a flagship-grade setup that delivers the best level of performance you can demand from a premium device. Everything from the benchmark scores to the daily tests show you what the 17 Ultra can handle and still have more left in the tank. This is what Samsung and Oppo are using for their own Ultra models in the market and Xiaomi adds its name into the same ring.
The HyperOS pitch
Xiaomi brought HyperOS to build its ecosystem which even includes a premium electric car. The platform is a more polished-looking version of MIUI but the traits are the same even though the interface has been tweaked for better fluidity and less animations. Having said that, the platform is still the limiting factor for the powerful hardware. We really would like Xiaomi to make a UI overhaul which gives it a different appeal.
Xiaomi has improved its software update policy for the 17 Ultra with the promise of 6 OS upgrades and 6 years security updates which takes the support up to 2032. However, most people have issues with the speed of these updates from the brand and we hope that we also see a big shift from here on.
The real ultra magic
Xiaomi’s main focus with its Ultra is all about the imaging tech and the new device takes that development further. You have a triple camera system that carries a 200MP periscope telephoto lens along with a 50MP wide main sensor and a 50MP ultra-wide lens. If you thought the numbers were impressive, wait till you see the output it offers. We have always liked the colour tones and the processing of the Ultra devices which also has a special Leica effect to add its own touch.
Even the low-light photos are so rich and detailed and we managed to capture subjects in dark conditions with good clarity. The sensor input has been tuned to get better results and the images clearly showed us what the 17 Ultra can offer in different light and situations.
Now, we have to talk about the camera kit that comes with the 17 Ultra. It makes the phone double up as a camera with the traditional shutter button and the rugged build. It even has a built-in battery that can be charged. And in the software you can tweak the settings. It is a different experience to use the 17 Ultra with the camera kit strapped on.
Long enough
Xiaomi 17 Ultra global variant (and in India) packs a 6,000mAh battery which is not the biggest in the market these days. Having said that, the phone can easily run through long enough so that you don’t need to hunt for a charger in the middle of the day or evening.
The PCMark battery score of just over 23 hours is not the best we’ve recorded in recent months but good enough to handle regular-to-moderate usage with ease. Having 90W supported allows you to have the device fully juiced up in under an hour.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a premium phone with high-end cameras, a strong build quality, a punchy display and offers decent battery life as well. The prices have gone a bit too much this year and the 17 Ultra is part of the pack. The software is still the main work in progress but this a device that is equally a phone and a camera.