The Xiaomi 17 Ultra might be arriving sooner than anyone predicted. According to a fresh leak, Xiaomi’s next ultra-premium flagship could debut in China later this month, making it the earliest launch ever for an “Ultra” model in the series.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra tipped for mid-December reveal
Leaker Smart Pikachu reports that Xiaomi is preparing to launch the Xiaomi 17 Ultra sometime between December 15 and December 25, with insiders on Weibo pointing to a December 18 announcement. If accurate, this would beat the usual Ultra release timeline by nearly two months previous Ultra phones typically launched no earlier than February.
Rumors suggest Xiaomi will begin pre-orders immediately after the reveal, positioning the phone as a surprise holiday release in its home market.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 in the OnePlus Ace 6T shows strong CPU performance, but GPU tests lag behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
A 1-inch camera sensor with a twist
Xiaomi plans to keep a 1-inch type main camera sensor on the 17 Ultra. It’s the only 2025 flagship confirmed to use one. While other brands are phasing out that sensor type, Xiaomi is doubling down on image quality. However, it intends to make one key change.
Leakers claim the 17 Ultra will drop its secondary zoom lens in favor of a single, upgraded periscope zoom camera. That means one less lens, but potentially better zoom performance overall.
Premium chip, familiar price
Like the rest of the Xiaomi 17 series, the Ultra will ship with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. It’s also rumored to maintain a similar price point to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, keeping the upgrades focused on imaging and internal refinement rather than a major pricing jump.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s global launch may wait until February
While Chinese buyers could see it before Christmas, the global release is unlikely to happen before February. The phone is expected to appear at MWC 2026, potentially alongside global versions of the Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max.
Still, if the leaks hold true, Xiaomi is clearly looking to shake up its release schedule and with a powerful sensor, refined camera setup, and elite-tier chipset, the 17 Ultra might just be the brand’s most polished flagship yet.
