Xiaomi 17 Ultra Debuts as a New Flagship Rival to iPhone 17 Pro, But India Launch Is Still Unclear

Xiaomi has launched the Xiaomi 17 Ultra in China as its newest top-end flagship, positioning it squarely against premium phones such as Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro lineup. However, Indian buyers can’t purchase it yet because Xiaomi has only announced China availability so far, with no confirmed India launch timeline or pricing.

What Xiaomi announced and what it didn’t

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra was unveiled in China on Thursday, with pre-orders opening immediately and the first sales set to start on December 27. Xiaomi did not share any details on availability outside China, which effectively rules out an immediate India release. That said, past “Ultra” launches typically arrive globally later, and earlier reporting has pointed to a potential global unveiling around MWC 2026, though Xiaomi has not officially confirmed that schedule.

Price in China

Xiaomi has priced the 17 Ultra in China at:

• 6,999 yuan (12GB RAM + 512GB storage)
• 7,499 yuan (16GB RAM + 512GB storage)
• 8,499 yuan (16GB RAM + 1TB storage)

India pricing, if the phone launches here, will depend on taxes and Xiaomi’s positioning versus Apple and Samsung flagships, so the China figures won’t directly translate.

Key specifications and features

Xiaomi has adopted a flatter design approach this year, moving to a flat 2D display and flat vertical frame, while keeping the phone relatively slim at 8.29mm. Up front is a 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED flat panel (TCL CSOT) with 1.5K resolution, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and up to 1060 nits in high-brightness mode, protected by Xiaomi Shield Glass 3 (also referred to as Dragon Crystal Glass 3).

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra runs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 paired with LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and UFS 4.1 storage, and ships with Android 16 and HyperOS 3. Xiaomi is also highlighting enhanced connectivity with a “five signal enhancement chip” antenna system, support for up to 51 4G/5G bands, and UWB.

Camera hardware is again the headline feature. The phone uses a 50MP 1-inch “Light Master” main camera (Omnivision Light Hunter 1050L) with OIS and LOFIC ultra-high dynamic range technology. It also includes a 200MP periscope telephoto camera using a 1/1.4-inch sensor with a floating lens design, supporting zoom coverage described as seamless from 75mm to 400mm, alongside a 50MP ultra-wide camera.

On the front, Xiaomi has added a 50MP Omnivision sensor for selfies and video calls, and introduced a “Fireworks Mode” aimed at handling complex high-contrast lighting using LOFIC HDR and AI scene recognition.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra packs a 6,800mAh battery with 90W wired fast charging and 50W wireless charging, while weighing 224g. Xiaomi also lists flagship staples such as IP68 water and dust resistance, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, stereo speakers, and an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor.

Why Indian buyers can’t buy it yet

For now, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a China-first release, and Xiaomi has not announced an India launch date. If Xiaomi follows its usual pattern, Indian availability would likely be decided only after global launch plans are confirmed, so buyers interested in importing should also factor in warranty and network band considerations.

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