After both vivo and OPPO played around with their Pro flagships and made people rethink what smartphone photography is, Xiaomi has basically said, “without us?” That’s because the Chinese smartphone maker launched two phones yesterday, the Xiaomi 17 and the 17 Ultra, at the Mobile World Congress happening in Barcelona. While both phones look standard on the outside, Xiaomi has done extensive rework on its cameras. The headline feature is a new LOFIC-based 1-inch sensor on the Ultra, promising next-gen HDR and video performance that could rival that of the iPhone.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra: 1-Inch LOFIC Sensor and 200MP Zoom

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is easily the headline act here. It is also the thinnest and lightest Ultra device Xiaomi has made so far, measuring 8.29mm thick and weighing just over 218g. It protected Xiaomi’s Guardian Structure, which includes Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0 with improved drop resistance, a high-strength fiberglass back, an aluminum alloy frame, and an IP68 rating.

But the real story is the camera system. The Ultra introduces Xiaomi’s first 1-inch LOFIC main camera sensor, called the Light Fusion 1050L. LOFIC technology improves full-well capacity, enabling significantly better HDR performance and dynamic range. In simple terms, it should handle tricky lighting scenes far better than previous generations.

There’s also a Leica 200MP telephoto camera with a 75–100mm mechanical optical zoom. Xiaomi claims it maintains high image quality across the zoom range and can extend to a 400mm-equivalent focal length using advanced sensor tech. That’s serious reach for a smartphone. On the video side, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra supports Dolby Vision and ACES Log recording at up to 4K 120fps on both the main and telephoto cameras, positioning it as a true hybrid tool for creators.

Xiaomi 17: Compact Flagship With Big Ambitions

The standard Xiaomi 17 is slimmer at 8.06mm and lighter at 191g, but still packs serious hardware. It features a 1/1.31-inch Light Fusion 950 sensor with 2.4μm 4-in-1 Super Pixel technology, delivering strong dynamic range in varied lighting conditions.

It also includes a Leica 60mm floating telephoto lens that supports portrait photography, macro at 10cm, and up to 20x AI-assisted zoom. On the front, there’s a new 50MP selfie camera with improved autofocus. Like the Ultra, it supports 4K 60fps Dolby Vision and Log recording, making it suitable for creators who prefer a more compact device.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 & Big Batteries

Powering the Xiaomi 17 Series is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform, paired with the latest Qualcomm Oryon CPU, Adreno GPU, and Hexagon NPU. Xiaomi says the chip is optimized for heavy tasks like rapid photo capture, gaming, and multitasking, and we will put these claims to the test once we get our hands on the phone.

Battery life, however, is where things get a bit confusing. Somehow, the bigger Xiaomi 17 Ultra packs a 6000mAh battery with 90W wired and 50W wireless HyperCharge, while the smaller Xiaomi 17 goes even bigger with a 6330mAh battery and supports 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.

India Launch?

At the Xiaomi 17 series watch party yesterday, the company confirmed that both phones are headed to India on March 11th. Pricing is still under wraps, but given the price increase in European markets, these phones will cost a pretty penny.