Xiaomi 16 Ultra is said to reach new heights in photography. Perhaps surprisingly, it might be released this year

Xiaomi might have an interesting surprise in store for us this year. According to fresh speculation, the flagship Xiaomi 16 Ultra could arrive on the market significantly earlier than we are used to with previous Ultra series models. While the Xiaomi 15 Ultra was introduced in February 2025 during MWC, its successor could be unveiled before the end of this year. This unusual strategy would give the phone a valuable head start against competitors like the Vivo X300 Ultra or Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Official Confirmation from Company Management

Xiaomi Group President Lu Weibing recently confirmed the existence of the Xiaomi 16 Ultra on the Chinese social network Weibo, which is an unusually early announcement given that its predecessor has only been on the market for less than half a year. Weibing also confirmed that cooperation with the German photographic legend Leica continues and stated that the new device will reach new heights in mobile photography.

Change in Market Launch Strategy

It is theoretically possible that Xiaomi will this time introduce an entire new generation of flagship phones at once – meaning Xiaomi 16, Xiaomi 16 Pro, and Xiaomi 16 Ultra. This is a significant change from the current procedure, where basic models arrive shortly after the introduction of new Qualcomm chipsets, and the Ultra model with improved cameras follows a few months later.

Relatively recently, we also informed you about the Xiaomi 16 Pro Max model, which, according to some rumors, will feature a secondary display on the back and an even larger battery than the Ultra variant. However, availability might be an issue, as it is rather expected that none of the Pro models will leave China (at least not officially).

New Camera Sensor?

One of the most interesting speculations surrounding the Xiaomi 16 Ultra is the possible change in the supplier of the main photographic sensor. While the Xiaomi 15 Ultra uses a 1-inch Sony LYT-900 sensor, its successor could switch to a sensor from the Chinese company SmartSens. Huawei has already made a similar move with its Pura 80 Ultra model.

The recently introduced SmartSens SC5A5XS is a 50Mpx 1-inch sensor manufactured with 28+nm technology, boasting an increased light sensitivity of up to 72% compared to the previous generation. A key innovation is the SuperPixGain HDR technology with a dynamic range of up to 110 dB. This move could indicate an effort by Chinese phone manufacturers to reduce reliance on Japanese and Korean suppliers.

Massive Battery and Powerful Processor

According to available information, the Xiaomi 16 Ultra should offer a truly impressive battery with a capacity of around 7,500 mAh, which represents a significant increase compared to its predecessor. Performance should be handled by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset, which is expected to be introduced later this year.

What do you think about the possibility of an earlier launch of the Xiaomi 16 Ultra?

Sources: Notebookcheck, Weibo (1, 2)