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Xiaomi has teased a tactile upgrade for its next flagship: the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica features a physical zoom ring built into a circular camera island. The brief reveal arrives ahead of the phone's official announcement on December 25.
A real zoom ring you can touch
Imagine shifting zoom levels with your thumb on a real dial rather than pinching the screen. Xiaomi's new physical zoom ring promises exactly that — a mechanical control around the rear camera island that makes framing and focal adjustments feel immediate and precise. For photographers who prefer tactile input, this is a big departure from purely software-driven controls.
Leica branding returns — and the red dot
Branding matters in flagship camera phones, and Xiaomi appears to lean into that with the official name: Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica. Leaks suggest at least one colorway will carry Leica's signature red dot on the back, reinforcing the handset's photography-first positioning.
What’s inside the camera bump?
Leaks and earlier reports outline a simplified rear camera array compared with the previous model — three rear cameras rather than four — but with bigger sensors and a stronger telephoto capability:
- Main camera: a customized 50MP OmniVision 1-inch type sensor for improved low-light performance and dynamic range.
- Ultrawide: a 50MP Samsung JN5 sensor to capture more detail across wider scenes.
- Periscope telephoto: a dedicated tele lens said to use Samsung's HPE sensor and support continuous zoom between 3x and 4.3x — perfectly matched to the new physical zoom ring.
Reducing the camera count but increasing sensor quality suggests Xiaomi is focusing on image performance over sheer numbers. The periscope's continuous zoom also hints at smoother focal changes for video and compositional control.
Performance and platform
Under the hood, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is expected to run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, pairing high-end compute with the upgraded camera stack. That combination should deliver strong imaging pipelines, fast processing for computational photography, and the horsepower to support advanced video modes.
Why this matters
Physical camera controls are rare on modern smartphones, which makes Xiaomi's approach notable. It caters to users who want more direct, instinctive control over framing and zoom without diving into menus. With Leica branding and large sensors, the 17 Ultra looks like Xiaomi's latest bid to compete with camera-focused flagships.
We’ll know the full details when Xiaomi reveals the phone officially on December 25, but early leaks already paint the 17 Ultra as a compelling option for mobile photographers who want tactile handling paired with serious hardware.
Source: gsmarena
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