The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica version has a rotatable camera zoom

Xiaomi used the Christmas period to launch its best flagship phone of the year, the 17 Ultra. It drops the additional rear screen which is the main selling point of the car 17 probut instead adds the option of a manual zoom ring built directly into the phone’s camera island.

This rotary zoom is only included in Leica’s new version of the phonewhich also has touches such as the red dot Leica logo and finishing touches on the sides of the phone. The ring can be reprogrammed for exposure or focus if you prefer, and the Leica version has some custom software touches too, such as unique film simulation effects and physical accessories like a lens hood and branded cleaning cloth.

Otherwise, the Leica 17 Ultra is identical to the regular 17 Ultra. It’s supported by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 5th generationWith up to 1TB of storage space and 16GB of RAM. A large 6.9-inch OLED screen, as well as a silicon-carbon battery with a capacity of 6800 mAh.

Like all of Xiaomi’s Ultra phones, its cameras are the real focus. The 50MP main camera uses a 1-inch type sensor and a wide f/1.7 aperture, with the selfie and ultra-wide cameras at the same resolution.

The biggest change is the zoom – instead of the two separate zoom lenses present 15 ultraThe new phone contains a single 200-megapixel periscope camera that can range from 3.2x to 4.3x. What’s even more impressive is that it has continuous optical zoom all the time, a trick that was first used in phones by Sony Xperia 1 IVWith variable aperture f/2.4-3.0.

The 17 Ultra starts at 6,999 yen (about $1,000), with the Leica model at 7,999 yen (about $1,140). At Xiaomi Confirmed plans for global launch From the 17 Ultra in 2026, but we don’t know exactly when – or if the Leica version will be included. The Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra were launched internationally at MWC 2025 in March, so a repeat could be possible in the coming months.