Xiaomi has launched its latest phones in Australia, the Xiaomi 17 series, its newest flagship range that continues the brand’s big focus on photography through a partnership with Leica.
Like the Xiaomi 15T phones that debuted locally late last year, the new handsets include a camera system powered by Leica, along with accessories that add more camera capabilities.
Included in the launch is the $1,799 Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which is joined by a standard $1,399 17 model. But the most interesting addition is the Leica Leitzphone. The $2,299 phone is still a Xiaomi device at heart, albeit with more prominent Leica branding.
On the back of the Leitzphone is a physical camera ring that rotates, aiming to emulate the feeling of zooming in with a traditional camera. It also sports a specially made camera UI and exclusive camera filters that reproduce the look of Leica’s M9 and M3 cameras.
Otherwise, the Leitzphone shares nearly identical specs to the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. Both have a 50MP main rear camera, joined by a 200MP 75-100mm telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultra-wide shooter. On the front is a 50MP camera, while the phone supports up to 8K resolution video recording.
Each of Xiaomi’s top-end phones includes a 6.9-inch OLED display, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, and a 6,000mAh battery.
At the cheaper end of the scale, the base Xiaomi 17 is more compact, with a 6.3-inch OLED screen, but it has a slightly bigger 6,330mAh battery. It has the same processor, but with 12GB of RAM and a different camera stack. Aside from different sensors, the 17 has a 50MP main camera, a 50MP 60mm telephoto lens, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 50MP selfie shooter.
Xiaomi 17 price and release date
Available to order now from Xiaomi’s Australian website, the new range starts from $1,399. Aussies can get the base Xiaomi 17 model in four different colours: Black, Venture Green, Alpine Pink, and Ice Blue. Its 256GB configuration costs $1,399, while the 512GB model costs $1,599. From now until 18 March, buyers get a $200 discount on the 512GB variant, which works out to be a free storage upgrade.
Meanwhile, the 17 Ultra comes in Black, White, and Starlit Green. A 512GB version costs $1,799, and the 1TB model costs $1,999. As mentioned before, the Leica Leitzphone variant sets Australians back $2,299. Xiaomi includes a $349 photography kit — which includes a Leica-inspired grip with a built-in battery and shutter button — with the Leitzphone for any orders made before 18 March.
The grip looks like a more brand-specific premium version of the Belkin Stage PowerGrip. At just under $100, Belkin’s attachment is a decent alternative, particularly if you don’t end up with a Xiaomi 17 Ultra or the Leica Leitzphone.
More Xiaomi gadgets
Along with the new phones, Xiaomi also debuted several other devices, including the Watch 5, Redmi Buds 8 Pro, and the Xiaomi Tag.
Xiaomi advertises the $499 Watch 5 as using “10 per cent silicon-carbon battery technology”, which is higher density, enabling more capacity in the same-sized battery. As a result, Xiaomi claims the watch lasts up to six days of regular usage or up to 18 days when used in power saving mode.
With the $29.50 Xiaomi Tag, the brand aims to introduce tracking technology that works seamlessly across Android and iOS devices. It supports both Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find Hub technology, providing an alternative to trackers like AirTags, Moto Tags, and Galaxy SmartTags.
Rounding out the latest additions is the $119 Redmi Buds 8 Pro, a pair of ANC earbuds designed to last up to eight hours on a single charge. If you need more juice, Xiaomi also launched the UltraThin Magnetic Power Bank, which houses a 5,000mAh capacity in a thin form factor. It retails for $129, but is down to $69.50 until the end of March.
The post Xiaomi doubles down on photography with snazzy camera phones appeared first on GadgetGuy.
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