Xiaomi has offered another early look at its upcoming Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition, and this one focuses squarely on how the phone is meant to be used — not just what’s inside it. The big talking point is a new physical zoom ring wrapped around the rear camera module, clearly inspired by traditional cameras.
In newly shared official videos, Xiaomi shows the so-called “Master Zoom Ring” in action. The rotary control sits around the circular camera bump and appears to allow users to zoom in and out by twisting the ring, much like adjusting a lens on a mirrorless or DSLR camera. Compared to on-screen sliders, it looks far more tactile and precise.
According to well-known leaker Digital Chat Station, the ring isn’t just cosmetic. It’s expected to offer real hardware-level zoom control, likely tied directly to the phone’s optical zoom system. Exactly how granular the control is — and whether it can be customized — should become clearer at launch.
The Leica Edition also adds some visual flair. A raised 3D Leica engraving near the camera module gives the phone a more camera-like identity, clearly separating it from the standard Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
As for the hardware underneath, the Leica Edition shares the same core setup as the regular model. That includes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and a camera system headlined by a 200MP periscope telephoto lens with 70mm to 100mm continuous optical zoom. Xiaomi has already shared main and telephoto samples showing the imaging capabilities, though these images should be taken with the usual grain of salt.
Both the standard Xiaomi 17 Ultra and the Leica Edition are set to launch in China on December 25. If the zoom ring works as smoothly as the teasers suggest, it could offer something genuinely different — especially for photography enthusiasts who miss the physical controls of a dedicated camera when travelling with their phone.
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