GoKawiilIn the U.S., discussions about top camera phones largely center around iPhones, the Samsung Galaxy series, and, lately, the Google Pixel. In contrast, people in Asia and parts of Europe get a wider range of choice with companies like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo upping their camera game.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which recently had its global launch, is one of those devices, with a big camera bump that houses a versatile set of sensors, and a partnership with the storied German camera maker Leica to supply software-level changes and sensibilities to how scenes are shot.
The camera has tons of options to choose from, ranging from different focal lengths on the hardware side to various filters and settings to change how the final image looks.
Image Credits:Ivan Mehta
Xiaomi has also released external add-ons that snap on to the camera like a cover, as well as a USB-based accessory that provides hardware buttons to shoot video or photos. While these add-ons don’t particularly add a lot of features, it makes one-hand operation of the camera easier.
Besides the camera, Xiaomi has packed its phone with top components to compete with the best phones of the year. I will talk about the camera in detail, but let me get the rest of the hardware description out of the way.
Hardware
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra uses Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processors, which will be the choice of flagships this year. On the front, there is a 6.9-inch AMOLED screen with 1200 x 2608 pixels resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
The screen is quite bright at a peak brightness of 3,500 nits. This is handy in operating the phone in bright conditions and also makes for a good video-watching experience.
Techcrunch event This Week Only: Up to $482 savings for Disrupt 2026 Offer ends April 10, 11:59 p.m. PT
... continue reading