Xiaomi has revealed a groundbreaking camera feature for its upcoming flagship, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, set to launch on December 25, 2025, in China. The highlight is a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera featuring continuous optical zoom, a significant advancement in smartphone photography.
This telephoto lens, developed in collaboration with Leica, offers a smooth focal length range from 75mm to 100mm. Unlike traditional smartphone telephoto lenses that rely on digital cropping between fixed focal lengths, Xiaomi’s lens maintains full 200MP optical output throughout its zoom range.
Claimed as the first smartphone lens certified with Leica APO optics, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s telephoto camera minimizes chromatic aberration and enhances color accuracy. The lens structure uses a sophisticated dual floating lens design (3G+5P elements), allowing precise internal lens movements for true optical zoom in a compact form.
Xiaomi executives explained that the zoom mechanism employs optical principles similar to professional camera zoom lenses, not the standard periscope approach. This design preserves fine details and natural colors across all telephoto focal lengths, enhancing portrait and telephoto photography.
Sample images shared by Xiaomi show improved sharpness, richer fine details, and more natural color reproduction compared to competitor smartphones at 75mm, 85mm, 90mm, and 100mm zoom levels. The continuous optical zoom also provides consistent background compression without digital interpolation.
Main Camera and Design Highlights
Besides the advanced telephoto lens, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra features a new 1-inch sensor co-developed with Leica: the OmniVision Light Fusion 1050L. This sensor incorporates LOFIC (Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor) technology to deliver ultra-high dynamic range, capturing more highlight and shadow details in high-contrast scenes.
The handset is also the slimmest “Ultra” model Xiaomi has produced, measuring only 8.29mm thick. This slim profile is impressive given the complexity of its camera system.
Key Features Summary:
- 200MP periscope telephoto lens with continuous optical zoom from 75mm to 100mm
- Leica APO optical certification for advanced color and aberration correction
- Dual floating lens structure enabling precise zoom in a compact design
- 1-inch OmniVision Light Fusion 1050L main sensor with LOFIC technology
- Slimmest Ultra series design at 8.29mm thickness
Xiaomi anticipates a price increase due to higher component costs but believes the advanced photographic experience justifies the premium. The official launch on Christmas Day will mark a crucial step in strengthening Xiaomi’s flagship portfolio before expanding internationally.
With its unique 200MP zoom lens and sophisticated camera technologies, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra aims to attract serious mobile photography enthusiasts and challenge other premium smartphones in the global market. Its success could influence future trends in flagship camera innovation.
