I was blown away by the photos this Android phone can take
The good thing about smartphones in 2026 is that most of them can take excellent photos. The advancements in mobile camera technology over the last decade are astonishing, to the point we now have 1-inch sensors in some Android phones despite the space constraints.
That size sensor is the same you’ll find in cameras such as the beloved Sony RX100 range, and larger than point-and-shoot cameras released recently from firms such as Panasonic.
The latest 1-inch camera phone on the scene is the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, a large phone with an equally large camera bump to boot. It’s the sequel to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra I reviewed in 2025 (Xiaomi skipped the 16 number to align itself with the current iPhone range), and I’ve been testing it for a couple of weeks to see just how good its cameras really are.
I was very impressed with the 15 Ultra (and the 14 Ultra before that), and on paper, the new 17 Ultra looks quite similar. In fact, the 17 Ultra has actually lost a lens with its triple camera setup, where its two predecessors have four. That’s because the 17 Ultra now has a 200MP periscope zoom lens with an optical zoom within it. Xiaomi believes that it gives you shooting flexibility akin to stuffing a traditional zoom lens in your pocket.
I’ve been out and about in the sun, wind, rain and dark to bring you my impressions of this phone’s top-tier camera. It comes at a top-tier price too: £1,299, even if that does get you (spoiler) one of the best cameras on a phone, with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
The best way for me to showcase the phone is by showing you the sorts of photos it can take. Below are my favourite images that I have captured, which are all JPEGs straight out of the camera with no edits. They are shot either with Xiaomi’s Leica Authentic or Leica Vibrant presets, which you can select in the camera app when shooting.
Click through the gallery below for the images.
You can also view the images in full resolution via the hyperlinks below. The numbers correspond to the numbers (1 to 14) in the embedded slideshow:
The cameras here display a stunning range for such small hardware components. I rather like Xiaomi’s Leica Authentic filter, seen here on most images. Even if it is a tad affected, I was blown away by some of the outdoor shots and the moodiness of the weather that the images accurately convey.
Xiaomi’s partnership with legendary camera brand Leica seems to be mostly in the colour tuning of the images, but I am a fan. The phone gives you granular control over shots if you want it, with an easy-to-navigate Pro shooting mode that lets you adjust all settings like a manual camera, even shooting in RAW.
The main camera is a 1-inch 50MP sensor with optical image stablisation (OIS) and an apertutre of f/1.67 and has the equivalent of a 23mm focal length. Smartphone makers have recently taken to adding the equivalent focal length in their apps rather than only, say 1x or 2x, and once you’re used to it, it gives a good indication of the capabilities compared to lenses on traditional cameras.
The sole 200MP telephoto lens can zoom between 75-100mm and has an aperture range of f/2.39-2.96, with OIS too for helping combat your shaky hands. This lens is also the one used for macro mode.
The ultra-wide camera is, as on most smartphones, the weakest here, but at 50MP and a solid f/2.2, it gets the job done. Xiaomi has done well to make sure the colours are consistent across lenses, something cheaper phones struggle with when their second and third lenses are clearly lower quality than the main.
Aside from the cameras, for £1,299 you get a phone with a stunning viewfinder, the 6.9-inch OLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate. That makes this a pocket-busting phone, but a size I would be willing to endure to get the camera chops.
You also get the latest top-of-the-range Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and a huge 6,000mAh battery that lasted me close to two days even when shooting continuously. Annoyingly in the UK there is no 90W charger in the box that you need to fast charge this thing, which hurts considering the money you’ll have to spend.
There’s 50W wireless charging, a great, fast ultrasonic fingerprint sensot, stereo speakers, four mics for great audio pick up for calls and video recording, plus Hi-Res audio playback wirelessly to compatible headphones, full IP68 dust and water resitasnce, Wi-Fi 7 compatibility and the latest Android 16.
Xiaomi’s HyperOS Android skin is not my favourite, cluttered as it is, but along with this phone’s size, it’s fine to get used to when the cameras are this good.
I’ve yet to test the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and its cameras, but I do not like how Samsung has leant into AI photo creation in its features and marketing. With the Xiaomi 17 Ultra you get a phone that breaks the bank, but one with a Leica partnership that seems far more interested in photography prowess than AI slop and photo doctoring.
If you want to get creative with your next smartphone camera and you have no budget restrictions, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra should be top of your shopping list.
