What the reviewers said
PC-Welt DE
4.5/5May 15, 2026Xiaomi's 17 Ultra remains one of the best Ultra phones, with excellent cameras and battery life, though it is bulky and has a lower-resolution display.
- Excellent cameras with new 200MP periscope telephoto
- Large, bright display with high peak brightness
- Long battery life and fast charging
- Top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance
- Flat design feels more like a conventional smartphone
- Bulky with a large camera module
- Lower display resolution than the previous generation
- Mixed performance from in-house AI features
- Fewer OS updates than some rivals
- Speakers distort slightly at maximum volume
Digital Trends US
No scoreMay 6, 2026A camera-focused review praising the Xiaomi 17 Ultra's daylight, zoom, low-light and portrait photography, while lamenting that it cannot be officially bought in the US.
- 1-inch 50MP main sensor with wide f/1.67 aperture
- Continuous optical zoom with strong 3.2x telephoto results
- Low-light performance retains detail and controls noise
- Leica Vibrant profile looks natural rather than oversharpened
- Photography Kit Pro adds physical controls and battery grip
- Selfie camera results are inconsistent and somewhat unnatural
- Ultrawide lens placement easily gets fingers in frame
- Grip lacks data passthrough for external SSDs
- Not officially sold in the US
Tech Advisor UK
4.5/5May 5, 2026Xiaomi again makes one of the best Ultra phones, with a more phone-like design and strong cameras, though the price demands a real interest in photography.
- Excellent cameras, especially the 1-inch main sensor
- Large, bright display with high refresh rate
- Strong battery life and fast charging
- Top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance
- Slimmer and lighter than the 15 Ultra
- Bulky with a large camera bump
- Flat display lacks the curved-edge look of predecessors
- Lower screen resolution than QHD+ rivals
- Mixed own-brand AI performance
- Fewer OS updates than some rivals
TechRadar UK
4.5/5Apr 24, 2026A top-tier camera phone with excellent display, performance and design, held back by high price, HyperOS quirks and modest battery life.
- Refined, thinnest Ultra yet with flat-edged design
- Stunning 120Hz 6.9-inch display with high peak brightness
- Strong sustained performance thanks to IceLoop cooling
- Outstanding Leica-tuned cameras with 1-inch sensor and mechanical zoom
- Improved OS update commitment and fast 90W charging
- Video capabilities take a back seat to stills
- Battery longevity lags behind key rivals
- Software support shorter than some competitors
- Expensive, especially the limited Leica Leitzphone edition
- No official US availability
Phonandroid FR
No scoreMar 10, 2026An excellent photography-focused flagship with strong battery life and a bright, accurate screen, though its large size and very high price limit its appeal to serious photo enthusiasts.
- Near-professional photo quality, with a 200 MP telephoto camera
- Excellent screen colour accuracy and good outdoor brightness
- Impressive battery life
- Thinner and lighter than the Xiaomi 15 Ultra
- Powerful stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos certification
- Large, heavy camera module makes one-handed use harder
- Slight sensitivity to glare and halo effects from light sources
- Selfie photos sometimes blurry, requires holding still
- Very expensive, with a large device size
- Software updates offered for fewer years than Samsung
A near-flawless, photography-first flagship with gorgeous Leica-inspired design and excellent battery life, though it is not officially sold in the US.
- Gorgeous Leica-inspired Leitzphone and standard designs
- Versatile camera system with 1-inch main sensor
- 200MP telephoto with strong optical zoom
- Excellent performance and battery life
- Handy optional photography kit with shutter grip
- Bloatware preinstalled, including Facebook and TikTok
- No Qi2 magnetic charging support
- Huge, awkward camera module that makes phone top-heavy
- Not officially available in the US
Android Police US
8/10Feb 28, 2026An outstanding camera makes this a top 2026 camera phone, but weak battery life, durability worries and a bland design hold it back.
- Outstanding camera with versatile zoom from 2x to 8.6x
- Strong Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance
- Excellent 5G reception and bright, vivid OLED display
- Fast, reliable biometric security
- Good software customization options
- Battery life falls well short of rivals
- Slow charging with no charger in the box
- USB-C port felt stuck, raising durability concerns
- Design is forgettable and unbalanced in hand
- Wi-Fi performance slower than expected
Android Central US
4.75/5Feb 28, 2026One of the best camera phones of 2026, with a strong 1-inch main sensor, a useful 200MP telephoto, and great battery life. A better alternative to the Galaxy S26 Ultra…
- Excellent 1-inch main camera with outstanding photos and video
- 200MP telephoto with 3.2x to 4.3x optical zoom
- Battery lasts a day; 90W fast charging
- Elegant, comfortable design with satin finish
- Vibrant OLED display with excellent colors
- Cameras struggle with fast-moving subjects
- Software has quirks and slow long-term updates
- Pricier than last year
- Global model has smaller battery and no IP69
- Wi-Fi stuck on 5GHz band in testing
SmartWorld IT
8.5/10Feb 28, 2026A camera-focused flagship with excellent photos, a useful continuous zoom and a big battery, held back by software ads and a high price.
- Excellent photo quality across all cameras
- Continuous optical zoom works smoothly
- Refined, well-built design with IP69 rating
- Bright, high-quality 6.9-inch display
- Longer battery life thanks to 6000 mAh cell
- Some advertising in the software
- Video recording not up to photo standard
- High launch price
- Zoom difference between levels is minimal
- Heavy at 230 grams
Trusted Reviews UK
4.5/5Feb 28, 2026An excellent all-round flagship with outstanding cameras, fast performance, a great screen and speakers, and quick charging. Photographers will love it most, though macro shots are weaker.
- Outstanding camera system, especially main and telephoto sensors
- Very fast performance with latest Snapdragon chip
- Excellent bright OLED display and speakers
- Natural-looking images with refined processing
- Improved IP68/IP69K rating and flat design
- Telemacro focusing distance is weaker than predecessor and rivals
- Expensive pricing
- Telephoto zoom range is fairly narrow
- Battery life trails some rivals in the reviewer's testing
Verdicts, pros and cons are short summaries in our words of each publisher's review; scores are as the publisher gave them. Specs are taken from the reviews' spec boxes — where they differ, we show the value most of them give; price is the US launch price of the base model. Read the originals for the full picture.
