Xiaomi 17 Ultra Review — The Photography Flagship Refined to Near Perfection

Unboxing the Xiaomi 17 Ultra

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra arrives in packaging that immediately communicates premium intent. Inside the box, you get the phone itself, a USB-C to USB-C cable, a 100W charger, a SIM ejector pin, a clear protective case, and the usual documentation. The inclusion of a 100W charger out of the box is worth calling out specifically, because not every flagship at this price point bothers anymore. Xiaomi does, and it is appreciated.

For our review unit, it also comes with the Photography Kit Pro, which is a separate purchase if you’re interested to get one. This one comes with a magnetic phone case, the Photography Grip Pro, a hand strap, rotatable filter adapter ring (67mmm filter compatibility), detachable shutter buttons, and documentation.

The clear case is a practical inclusion that lets you show off the phone’s design while keeping it protected from day one, and the overall unboxing experience feels consistent with what you would expect from a phone at this price point. The phone case that comes with the Photography Kit Pro is of a much higher quality, and it will look and work better than the clear case itself. In case you’re wondering, the case will work fine with or without the camera grip, but it is definitely needed if you want to use the grip.

Walkaround

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra represents a meaningful shift in design philosophy from its predecessor. Where the 15 Ultra leaned into rounded forms and curved glass, the 17 Ultra embraces a flat-edged frame front and back, putting it firmly in step with current flagship design trends. The aluminum alloy frame has subtle rounding along its edges to keep the large phone comfortable in hand, but this is unmistakably a slab, and it is the better for it.

At 8.29mm, this is the thinnest Ultra in the series to date, roughly 12 percent thinner than the 15 Ultra, and at 218.4 grams it is noticeably lighter than its predecessor as well. That combination makes a genuine difference in daily use, reducing wrist fatigue and making the phone more pocket-friendly despite its large footprint.

The back is made from composite fiberglass rather than glass, which might raise an eyebrow on a phone at this price, but it is a deliberate and sensible choice. The material is more resistant to everyday wear and contributes significantly to keeping the weight down. The huge circular camera plateau on the rear houses the sensor array in a more symmetrical arrangement than last year, and the new circular metal volume buttons on the frame look and feel distinctly premium. The Starlit Green finish is particularly striking and genuinely unique among current flagship colorways.

Display protection comes from Xiaomi’s own Shield Glass 3.0, which the company claims is 30 percent more drop-resistant than the 15 Ultra’s screen, and a thin PET protector comes pre-applied. The rear camera system is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. IP68 certification is confirmed for the international version.

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Build quality throughout is exceptional. Every joint, button, and surface communicates the kind of craftsmanship you want from a phone at RM5,499.

Specifications

Camera

The headline addition for the 17 Ultra’s camera system is LOFIC technology on the 50MP 1-inch main sensor, which adds 2.5 stops of dynamic range over the 15 Ultra’s main lens, bringing the total to an outstanding 16.5EV. This translates to real-world images where highlights are preserved and shadows retain detail in a way that was previously much harder to achieve on a smartphone.

The 200MP telephoto sensor with mechanical optical zoom between 75mm and 100mm equivalent is a genuinely novel implementation that delivers sharper, more optically accurate results across a wider range of focal lengths than a fixed telephoto can manage. Leica tuning runs through the entire system, from color science to the Leica preset treatments available in the camera app. The results are frequently stunning, approaching the fidelity of dedicated mirrorless cameras in favourable conditions.

Performance

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra had a very strong showing in Antutu v11, easily taking the runner up spot in our list of benchmarked devices. Sure, the fact that it’s using a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 should put it pretty high but keep in mind that it’s a very hot chip, and plenty of devices powered by it suffer from thermal throttling. Even the base model 17 scored noticeably lower despite running the same chip.

In Geekbench 6, we see a similar pattern again but this time, it’s on par with the top scorer of the previous benchmark. It may score lower than the S26 Ultra but do keep in mind that Samsung has custom-binned versions of the same chip, and it’s not a huge difference anyway. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is shaping up to be quite the powerhouse at this point.

As for 3DMark, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra had a pretty strong showing across the board, with it particularly excelling in the Raster portion of the tests while still showing adequate prowess in Ray Tracing. As mentioned earlier, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is a very hot chip, so we’re not surprised to see some level of thermal throttling, and we can see a stability rating of 65.8%. The graph also paints an interesting picture as it seems that it manages to recognize the sweet spot for the most stable, consistent experience from the 11th run onwards.

GPUScore Sacred Path doesn’t show any notable feats for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, but having its performance being on par with other devices running the same chip is perfectly fine.

Lastly on PCMark in its Work 3.0 benchmark, it performs below par for a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 smartphone. It’s on the worse end of devices running the same chip, outclassed by even the base model 17, but it’s still within reasonable levels. There is a good chance that it’s intentionally not running at full force in order to maintain a certain level of efficiency as it managed to run the test perfectly smooth, which means it shouldn’t struggle when it comes to day-to-day use.

As for battery life, we managed to get 17 hours and 24 minutes in PCMark’s battery endurance test. It managed to beat out a device that has 1,000mAh more in capacity, and it only lost out to devices with bigger capacities too. Even so, the margin of difference is very small, which put this at a very excellent level. If you’re worried that we got a smaller capacity compared to the China version, this should serve as a solid reason that it’s nothing to be concerned about. For charging speed, here’s what we got using its 100W charger starting from 2% battery life:

• 15 minutes = 43% battery
• 30 minutes = 74% battery
• Full charge = 42 minutes

The Good

A Design That Is as Practical as It Is Premium

The shift to a flat-edged form pays dividends in multiple ways. The flatter chassis creates more internal space for a larger battery and an improved cooling system, all while making the 17 Ultra the thinnest and lightest Ultra to date. The composite fiberglass back resists everyday wear better than glass, the aluminum alloy frame feels substantial without adding unnecessary weight, and the pre-applied screen protector and included clear case mean the phone is ready for real-world use straight out of the box. For a phone this large, it is remarkably manageable in the hand.

One of the Best Mobile Displays Available

The 6.9-inch HyperRGB LTPO AMOLED panel is a genuine standout. The 3,500 nit peak brightness across a 25% APL makes it one of the brightest screens on a phone at the moment, and the LIPO thin-bezel construction gives it an immersive, clean look. The new sub-pixel structure mitigates what would otherwise be a noticeable drop in pixel density compared to the 15 Ultra, and in real-world use the screen looks absolutely sharp. The truly dynamic 1 to 120Hz refresh rate, 12-bit color depth, and excellent OLED contrast combine to produce a viewing experience that is comfortably class-leading. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is fast, consistent, and works with the screen off, which is a small but genuinely useful detail.

Flagship Performance With Exceptional Thermal Management

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is the standard bearer for Android performance right now, and the 17 Ultra’s implementation of it is among the best available, thanks largely to the new 3D dual-channel IceLoop cooling system. The 5,500mm² vapor chamber keeps sustained performance levels remarkably stable across extended gaming and video recording sessions. In stress testing, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra held its own against every other 8 Elite Gen 5 device tested, all while staying cooler. Paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage, there is nothing this phone struggles to handle.

Fast Charging Done Right

Ninety watts of wired charging with PPS support is a practical and forward-thinking combination. The PPS compatibility means you are no longer locked to Xiaomi’s proprietary chargers, and the included 100W charger in the box means you are ready to charge at full speed from day one. A full charge in under 45 minutes and nearly 80% in 30 minutes are figures that make battery anxiety a non-issue for most use cases. 50W of wireless charging and 22.5W reverse wired charging round out a charging package that is genuinely one of the most complete on the market.

Improved Software Longevity

Five years of OS updates and six years of security patches represent a meaningful improvement over the 15 Ultra at launch, and bring Xiaomi closer to the software support commitments of its main rivals. HyperOS 3 atop Android 16 is feature-rich, with HyperIsland adding Dynamic Island-style multitasking functionality and HyperConnect delivering genuinely impressive cross-platform interoperability with Windows, iOS, and macOS devices. The absence of bloatware and ads on this premium tier device is also worth acknowledging.

The Bad

HyperOS Comes With a Learning Curve

HyperOS 3 is genuinely feature-rich and the cross-platform connectivity tools are impressive, but the overall experience takes clear inspiration from iOS in ways that feel more imitative than innovative. For users coming from stock Android or other clean Android implementations, the adjustment period is real. The AI features are capable for light tasks but inconsistent in execution, and while Xiaomi has addressed the bloatware issue on this premium tier, the overall software experience still lacks the polish and originality of the best Android builds available.

Software Support Still Lags Behind the Top Tier

Five years of OS updates and six years of security patches is the best Xiaomi has ever committed to and it is a genuine improvement, but Apple and Google still offer longer support windows. At RM5,499 for the base model, buyers reasonably expect their investment to be supported for as long as possible, and there remains a gap here that Xiaomi has not fully closed.

Price Demands Commitment

RM5,499 for the 512GB model and RM5,999 for 1TB places the 17 Ultra firmly in the upper tier of the Malaysian smartphone market. It meets or undercuts comparable flagships from Samsung and Apple on paper, but it remains a significant purchase that requires confidence in a brand that is less established in Malaysia’s premium segment than its rivals. If you’re not particularly picky about brands and want excellent value in a true flagship that 2026 has to offer, it’s hard to turn the Xiaomi 17 Ultra down.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra Verdict

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the most refined and capable Ultra to date, and one of the best smartphones available right now regardless of brand. The camera system, anchored by LOFIC technology on the 1-inch main sensor and a mechanical zoom 200MP telephoto, is genuinely class-leading for still photography. The display is outstanding, the performance is best-in-class, the thermal management is a genuine leap forward, and the fast charging package is among the most practical and open of any flagship. The design refinements make this the most liveable Ultra yet despite its large footprint.

The weaknesses are real but none are dealbreakers. Battery longevity, while improved, still trails the most enduring rivals. HyperOS has a learning curve and the software support, while better than ever, has not fully caught up with the competition. For those who prioritise mobile photography above all else, and want a flagship that delivers across design, performance, and everyday usability at the same time, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra earns our coveted Gold Pokdeward.

Big thanks to Xiaomi Malaysia for sending us this smartphone for the purpose of this review.