In July this year, Xiaomi launched its Ultra Premium flagship smartphone, i.e., The Xiaomi 12S Ultra, with its 1” inch camera sensor capabilities, narrowed the gap between a smartphone camera & the DSLR.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept Phone
Fast forward to November, Xiaomi showcased a Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept, which mounts an M Series Leica camera on the back of the 12S Ultra Concept smartphone. The company shared the video of it on its official Weibo channel.
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According to the Video, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra concept uses two 1” inch sensors co-developed by Leica. The second 1” inch sensor uses a sapphire glass covering rather than the lens itself; this, in turn, allows it to attach an M series Leica lens.
Various kinds of Leica M lens attachments and an advanced camera application support focus peaking, histograms, zebra lines, and other photographic tools.
The second sensor is attached in the center of the image view, which sends light directly to the other sensor, which is said to reduce light loss and capture sharp images! Although this needs an adaptor which makes the device bulky.
However, as this uses the same 1” inch sensor as the Regular Xiaomi 12S Ultra, this concept device can capture photos and videos like a normal smartphone as it also has the computational skills present in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 + Gen 1
With that being said, this is not like those add-on lenses on top of a smartphone or the lens type that sony had. This is different from Xiaomi and Leica.
Unfortunately, Xiaomi has not given any other information about this Xiaomi 12S Ultra. It shares the same characteristics as the vanilla 12S Ultra, though this device has some refinement and is studier around the lens for attachment!
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Highlights
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra is now official, launching next week in China, earlier than the previously expected early 2026 launch.
- The phone is set to debut with the first Leica-certified APO telephoto lens as part of an upgraded Leica partnership.
- Earlier leaks point to top-tier hardware, including the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and support for direct satellite communication.
Good news for Xiaomi fans and mobile photography lovers before the year ends, as Xiaomi is preparing to launch the much-awaited Xiaomi 17 Ultra next week.
This will be the first smartphone from Xiaomi that includes an expanded partnership with Leica. Earlier rumors had suggested the smartphone would launch in early 2026.
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Xiaomi has posted several updates on Weibo regarding the 17 Ultra’s partnership with Leica, but a recent post from Xiaomi co-founder Lei Jun revealed the official launch banner for the 17 Ultra; unfortunately, the exact date wasn’t mentioned on it.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra Launch Banner (via Weibo)
Launch timing and region? The banner posted on Weibo, the Chinese micro-blogging site, confirms that the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is launching soon, but the exact date and time of the launch are still unknown.
Previous leaks pointed to an expected launch timeline of the smartphone as early as the first week of January 2026, but the new banner posted on Weibo confirms the launch to be happening around the last week of December 2025.
Previous Ultra flagships typically launched in February or March around Mobile World Congress, but this time Xiaomi has opted for an earlier schedule.
As for the region, it is always a China-first launch and then followed by other markets like India, the USA, and the EU.
Xiaomi Leica Partnership (via Weibo)
What’s new with the Leica partnership? This isn’t the first time Xiaomi has collaborated with Leica for the cameras, but the company is considering it an “upgraded” partnership for the 17 Ultra, promising a “groundbreaking optical system solution.”
Xiaomi claims the 17 Ultra to be the first smartphone in the world to feature a Leica APO-certified telephoto lens. Improvements in low-light image quality and overall clarity can be expected compared to the previous-generation Ultra phones.
Other rumored/leaked camera specifications suggest that the smartphone will be equipped with a 1-inch main camera sensor (likely the Omnivision OV50X), an advanced 200MP periscope telephoto, LOFIC sensor tech, and Leica’s signature color science and tuning.
Other flagship specifications (leaked/rumored)? Not only cameras, but the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is expected to have all the flagship hardware available in the market.
Previous leaks suggest that under the hood the smartphone could be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, paired with a 7,000–7,500 mAh battery that supports 100 W wired charging, a 3D-printed titanium alloy frame, a 6.8-inch LTPO panel with 2K resolution, and much more.
The smartphone is also tipped to support direct satellite communication out of the box. Earlier reports and regulatory filings confirm that it might support China’s Tiantong-1 and BeiDou satellite networks. Availability of the feature in other markets is still uncertain, as it requires local government approval.
Availability? As mentioned earlier, currently it is a China-only launch, so it will only be available in the Chinese region; however, the early launch also hints at the global launch at the Mobile World Congress next year.
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