Xiaomi Unveils Revolutionary Optical Zoom in New Flagship, Sparking Industry Buzz

Company Xiaomi has unveiled a key feature of its upcoming flagship, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra – the most powerful telephoto lens in the brand’s history. As stated by the company’s president, Lu Weibing, the smartphone features a Leica camera with a resolution of 200 MP, capable of providing continuous optical zoom from 75 mm to 100 mm while maintaining full optical resolution of 200 MP throughout the zoom range. Until now, the choice of telephoto lens in smartphones almost always entailed a compromise between medium and long focal lengths.

Xiaomi claims that the new module addresses this issue: the sensor retains its full 200 MP capability at any optical zoom level. This is “optical zoom,” not “digital cropping.” This marks a new starting point for next-generation telephoto lenses and mobile optics.

To demonstrate the optical zoom capabilities, the company displayed example shots at the most popular focal lengths and detailed image crops for visual comparison. On the left is the work of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s camera, while the center and right show unknown flagship smartphones from other manufacturers.

Photo by Xiaomi

Xiaomi President Lu Weibing published a video example of a firework display recorded on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and invited viewers to evaluate the result. The official presentation of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is scheduled for December 25. Previously, the head of Xiaomi shared examples of nighttime photography with the main camera. Xiaomi calls this smartphone a champion of new-generation nighttime photography, with significant improvements in low-light performance and telephoto capabilities.

The all-new Xiaomi 17 Ultra in the signature “Starry Green” color was showcased earlier.