Fresh camera teasers are putting the spotlight on one of the biggest upgrades expected for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra: a Leica-branded 200 MP periscope telephoto camera. Xiaomi has now shared new sample photos and side-by-side comparison shots that are meant to highlight how this zoom lens performs—especially for nighttime portraits.
This comes shortly after the company teased other camera features, including a dramatic demo where the Xiaomi 17 Ultra was mounted to a drone to capture fireworks footage, plus earlier samples from the phone’s main camera. Now, attention has shifted to the zoom system, which is often the deciding factor for buyers who care about portraits, travel shots, concerts, and detailed distant subjects.
According to Xiaomi, the 200 MP periscope telephoto uses a large 1/1.4-inch sensor. While the company hasn’t confirmed the exact sensor model, it did reveal that the lens covers a 75 mm to 100 mm equivalent focal length range. In real-world terms, that’s a highly useful portrait-to-short-tele range—ideal for flattering facial perspective, tighter framing, and subject separation without forcing you to stand too close.
To support its claims, Xiaomi shared multiple images that demonstrate detail capture at different focal length steps across that 75–100 mm range. The company also posted comparison photos against two unnamed rival phones. In these official comparisons, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra appears to retain stronger detail and clarity, suggesting the periscope camera is being positioned as a headline feature for the upcoming flagship.
One of the more interesting parts of the new sample set is the emphasis on low-light portrait photography. Xiaomi included nighttime portraits designed to show how well the zoom camera handles challenging lighting while keeping faces sharp and backgrounds controlled. If these results hold up in independent testing, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra could be a particularly strong option for people who often shoot portraits at night—think city streets, restaurants, events, or stage lighting.
That said, it’s worth keeping expectations in check for now. These are manufacturer-provided samples and comparisons, which means they’re curated and designed to show best-case results. Real performance will ultimately depend on processing, stabilization, focus speed, and how consistently the camera delivers across a wide range of scenes.
Alongside the new zoom samples, Xiaomi also revealed a new feature called “Red Carpet Camera mode.” Details are still limited, but the company says it’s meant to transform “life’s highlights” into a “red carpet moment,” implying a special shooting mode geared toward stylized portrait capture or event-style photography.
With the Leica 200 MP periscope telephoto now getting this level of attention, Xiaomi is clearly signaling that zoom performance—especially portrait-friendly focal lengths and nighttime results—will be central to the Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s camera story as launch approaches.
