Xiaomi’s next big flagship, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, appears to be getting closer to launch, and the leaks have started arriving in quick succession. While Xiaomi has not said a word yet, tipsters have given a fair idea of when the phone could go official and its price point.
The biggest hint comes from popular Chinese tipster Smart Pikachu who claims that Xiaomi will open pre-orders between December 15th and December 25th. Huawei Central claims that the official China launch is likely on December 26th. That is a bit early on the Xiaomi calendar considering the Ultra is usually unveiled just before its global MWC showcase in February. Xiaomi could be looking to get the head-start in the next flagship season.
As per the report, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra might launch at the same price as the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. For reference, the 15 Ultra started at CNY 6,499 (around Rs 78,000) for the 12GB + 256GB variant and CNY 7,799 (around Rs 93,000) for the 16GB + 1TB version. It was priced at Rs 1,09,999 for the 16GB + 512GB variant in India. If Xiaomi keeps it in the same bracket again, the purchase decision might seem natural to users weighing whether the generational upgrade is meaningful.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra will join the rest of the Xiaomi 17 series — the Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max — which have already launched in China and at least one of those models should arrive in India soon. The 17 Ultra is also rumoured to run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite chipset, like the rest of the Xiaomi 17 family. Other specs expected include a 6.8-inch 2K LTPO display, a 3D-printed titanium alloy frame, and a hefty 7,000-7,500mAh battery with 50W wireless charging.
Where things get interesting is in the camera setup. While some early whispers pointed towards a quad-camera setup, leaks and some new spy shots (via) doing the rounds in China point to a triple-camera arrangement instead. Images show the phone inside a bulky protective case revealing three lenses, including what looks like a periscope telephoto camera.
An earlier report also stated that Xiaomi is shifting the focus from the count of lenses to sensor quality and size. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is expected to pack a 50MP main sensor, a 200MP telephoto unit, and a 50MP ultra-wide lens. The front camera may use a 50MP OV50ME sensor. Curiously enough, while this cuts down one lens compared with the quad setup on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, the upgrade likely goes into making the telephoto system-especially that 200MP zoom sensor-the centerpiece of the camera experience.
For users, the question of whether to upgrade gets a whole lot simpler. If Xiaomi maintains last year’s pricing and improves long-range photography, the 17 Ultra could feel like a more balanced photography-first flagship. However, those preferring on having multiple focal lengths might want to wait until comparisons are out in the real world before making a decision, given one is being dropped.
