Review: Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Leitzphone Pack Leica Magic Into a Flagship Phone

A large screen, almighty camera system, and top-notch show tin devour close into your artillery life, but Xiaomi has managed to battalion a 6,000-mAh artillery into the 17 Ultra (up from 5,410 mAh past year). The leap gives it superior stamina, and this telephone tin spell a mates of days betwixt charges.

I privation Xiaomi had recovered a mode to see Qi2, arsenic magnetic wireless charging is the 1 happening I missed successful switching from the Pixel 10 Pro XL (though you tin benignant of adhd it with the photography kit case). The 17 Ultra does enactment wireless charging astatine an impressively accelerated 50-watt rate, but the camera module makes it awkward to usage with immoderate wireless chargers. Wired charging goes up to 90 watts with the close adapter (not included).

Software utilized to beryllium the large caveat, but I didn’t find overmuch to kick astir with the 17 Ultra. Xiaomi’s HyperOS apes iOS successful places, and I inactive don’t similar the unlabeled quick-settings icons, but it’s mostly perfectly fine. The Leica interface, with minimalist app icons and photography widgets, is overmuch nicer than the somewhat cartoonish HyperOS, but it’s precise casual to customize. I don’t deliberation bloatware has immoderate spot connected a flagship phone, truthful I’m ever annoyed to spot apps similar Facebook and TikTok preinstalled.

There’s plentifulness of AI onboard, if you care, and you tin usage Google’s Gemini oregon Xiaomi’s HyperAI for each sorts of photograph and video editing, transcription, translation, summarization, and more. It’s not rather arsenic slick and elegant arsenic Google’s Pixel, but you tin broadly execute each the aforesaid results.

For folks who tin get their hands connected the planetary exemplary much easily, it’s a near-flawless flagship contender that volition fulfill anyone craving a big, powerful, photography-first phone.