Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition: The Rotatable Camera Ring is Here
Are we heading towards the mechanical camera ring era again?
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| Hands adjusting the Xiaomi 17 Ultra rotatable master zoom ring. Image: Xiaomi |
In recent years, tech giants have heavily invested in and fought over cameras, entirely focusing on software optimization. But now, a major competitor in the flagship smartphone arena seems to be shifting the battlefield. Xiaomi just introduced the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition with a physical mechanical camera ring—a feature that could fundamentally shift how we interact with mobile photography.
Xiaomi is famous for introducing its flagship series during the Christmas holidays, and this year the Chinese company followed the typical old-book schedule to launch its Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition. The main and most interesting selling point of this new flagship smartphone is the introduction of a manual zoom rotator at the camera island, bringing back a nostalgic camera feeling.
It is important to note that this new rotator is exclusively introduced for their Leica Edition, while the standard 17 Ultra still uses the standard touch-screen zoom. Unlike the capacitive "Camera Control" buttons we've seen on recent flagships, this is a legitimate mechanical dial.
Functionality & Precision
The mechanical ring isn't just for show.
It physically controls zoom, exposure, and focus, but it can be remapped to control Manual Focus, Exposure Value (EV), or Aperture in Pro Mode.
Precision: Xiaomi claims it detects movements as small as 0.03mm.
The "Feel": The company claims the damping resistance mimics the focus ring of a legendary Leica M-series lens, aiming for muscle memory rather than digital guesswork.
Opinion: Bridging the Gap
If the haptics match the promise, this ring bridges the gap between a "phone camera" and a "camera phone." It solves the biggest issue with touchscreen photography: the lack of precise, granular control without obscuring the screen with your fingers.
Under the Hood: Specs and Sensors
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| The new Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition in four colors. Image: Xiaomi |
The "Leica Edition" comes with exclusive color science (Leica Authentic vs. Leica Vibrant) and specific "Street Photography" modes that utilize the mechanical ring for zone focusing.
Performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition also features the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which not only lets the device perform extremely well (as this is the most powerful processor ever made by Qualcomm) but also includes specific ISP (Image Signal Processor) upgrades for handling the massive data stream from a 1-inch main sensor. Other features include a peak display brightness of 3,500 Nits, which is major and higher than other giants releasing smartphones this year.
The Durability Question
The biggest risk with mechanical parts on a smartphone is durability and utility. Will the ring collect dust? Will it feel loose after six months? These are questions we can only answer after a long-term review.
It seems that the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition is targeting a very specific user: the enthusiast who is tired of computational photography doing too much of the work. As there is a standard version available, it implies this specific mechanical feature might not be achieved by competitors in recent years—or might be discontinued by Xiaomi itself depending on user feedback.
But one thing is clear: Xiaomi wants to give typical camera enthusiast users the camera they carry in their pocket, not just the phone they take pictures with.
