This beast will change mobile photography! Xiaomi 17 Ultra to get unique technologies

Although Xiaomi has already introduced the Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max models in China, the last piece of the puzzle is still missing – the Ultra version. This traditionally arrives a bit later than the base series, and if the manufacturer sticks to last year’s schedule, it should be unveiled sometime before the Chinese New Year. The 15 Ultra model, for example, arrived this February.

Further details about the cameras of the upcoming Xiaomi 17 Ultra have now leaked from China, and it looks like the company will once again raise the bar in mobile photography.

Main camera with seamless zoom

According to information from the well-known leaker Digital Chat Station, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra will get a new 50-megapixel main sensor with ISZ (In-Sensor Zoom) technology. What does this mean in practice? The phone will be able to zoom in on the image directly within the camera chip, almost up to the focal length of the periscope telephoto lens.

Xiaomi 17 Pro Max:

ISZ is nothing more than clever cropping of an image from a large sensor, but thanks to the 1-inch chip size and high resolution, there is no visible loss of quality. The transition from the main camera to the telephoto lens will thus appear seamless, without jumps. The main sensor is also expected to support a greater number of zoom levels than before.

Telephoto lens with 200 megapixels and macro mode

The periscope telephoto lens will be even more interesting. According to sources, Xiaomi will pack a large-format 200-megapixel sensor into it, which will support 4×4 RMSC technology. This will enable lossless zoom at multiple focal lengths and a special “telephoto macro” mode – meaning macro shots with significant magnification.

Interestingly, the focusing distance will not be too short, suggesting it will be more about detailing distant objects than classic macro shots. Both new sensors are also expected to offer a very high dynamic range, meaning better detail capture in both shadows and highlights.

Circular module instead of rear display

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra will come with four cameras on the back, all of which, except for the periscope telephoto lens, will have a resolution of 50 megapixels. What the phone will not get, however, is a rear display, which the 17 Pro and Pro Max models have.

The reason is simple – larger cameras need more space inside the body, and there simply isn’t room left for a rear screen. Instead, Xiaomi will return to a circular camera module, which makes sense given the priorities of this series. The Ultra series has always been primarily about photography, so sacrificing the display in favor of optics is logical.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and release date

The phone will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, just like the rest of the series. It will support both wired and wireless fast charging and a larger battery than its predecessor.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has already passed network certification under the internal designation 2512BPNDAC, indicating that its launch is not far off. According to the timeline, the phone should arrive before the Chinese Spring Festival, likely in January or February 2026.

Xiaomi Group President Lu Weibing previously stated that the 17 Ultra model will “redefine the standard for mobile photography” and bring several entirely new imaging technologies.

How excited are you for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra?

Source: GSMArena