What you need to know
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra leaks suggest the device could boast Leica-branded lenses with hardware features that prevent annoying issues, like chromatic aberration.
- The rumors add that the device might also take strides to improve its ability to reduce reflections, as well.
- Previous leaks purport the Xiaomi 17 Ultra may also feature four lenses, which could include three 50MP cameras and a 200MP lens.
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Xiaomi's been rumored to have some small under-the-hood upgrades for its "Ultra" 17 series model, but now those reports claim there are some hardware changes, too.
The rumors were posted on Weibo by tipster Smart Pikachu (machine-translated), who claims that Xiaomi could bring a huge photographic upgrade to an alleged Xiaomi 17 Ultra (via GSMArena). The tipster suggests the device will feature Leica-branded lenses with a focus on reducing reflections when taking photos. This, of course, is likely for situations with extreme brightness. The Weibo post claims that this change could help improve the 17 Ultra's ability to take "high definition and high fidelity" photos.
On the other hand, the device's alleged Leica-branded lens upgrades could also improve the device's chromatic aberration by "eliminating" it.
This essentially means the device may feature less optical distortion when users are snapping pictures. While there's likely to be some software tricks on the 17 Ultra to help further these changes, the tipster seems adamant that these main points are handled by the lenses themselves—so, it's all hardware strength.
Focusing on photography
There have been a host of rumors for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra in the past couple of months, especially regarding its cameras. Previous rumors from another tipster purport that the device could jump from three lenses to four. There's a supposed chance that the 17 Ultra might feature three 50MP cameras and one 200MP lens. Those rumors from October said that the device could boast a few camera upgrades for its "imaging" features, as well as "optical tech" for its periscope lens.
We're starting to see what the upgraded imaging system could mean for the 17 Ultra, but there's still nothing concrete.
Alongside those camera rumors was a database listing that seems to indicate Xiaomi's efforts to plug satellite connectivity into the phone. It's worth being clear here that this was only spotted for the Chinese variant, meaning there's no guarantee that a global variant, or even one for India, would see the same support.
The Xiaomi 17 series launched in September with its "Dynamic Back Display," which kind of brings that clamshell foldable cover display vibe to its rear panel.
