News

Xiaomi 17 Ultra is now available outside China

Xiaomi brings the Ultra again outside of the Mainland

Published

February 28, 2026

Vincenz

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Just when we thought brands are getting ready for the next year, Xiaomi wraps up their 2025 by announcing the Xiaomi 17 Ultra at the very last minute — specifically right during the Christmas Day.

New Camera Champ?

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra isn’t called “Ultra” for no major reason. Xiaomi’s all-new flagship boasts a mighty camera system in partnership with Leica.

First and foremost, there’s the Leica Optical Summilux High Speed Lens that’s backed by a 50MP f/1.67 main shooter powered by a 1-inch LightHunter 1050L image sensor.

ICYMI, the the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max feature a smaller 1/1.28-inch LightHunter 950L sensor.

Furthermore, Xiaomi brings back that dual variable aperture they have removed from the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. However this time, they have incorporated it into the latest telephoto camera instead of the main sensor.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra highlights its 200MP telephoto shooter with a 1/1.4-inch Samsung ISOCELL HPE sensor and an adjustable aperture of f/2.39 ~ 2.96.

It also has a “continuous optical zoom” feature between 3.2x to 4.3x range (75mm to 100mm equivalent).

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

And for the first time, there’s Leica’s APO Optical Certification.

Ultra-wide angle camera is capped at 50MP f/2.2 with a 115-degree FoV (Field of View).

Macro shooting is possible on both the UWA and telephoto modes with minimum shooting distance of 5cm and 30cm respectively.

Front-facing camera is also a 50MP f/2.2 shooter but with a 90-degree FoV.

When it comes to video recording, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is capable of shooting up to 8K / 30fps or up to 120fps in 4K resolution.

Toning it down to 1080p Full HD or 720p will give better slo-mo options ranging between 120, 240, 480, 960, and 1920fps.

Full-Fledged Flagship

As expected, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra runs the latest and greatest from Qualcomm: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 3nm SoC.

That’s paired with either a 12/16GB of LPDDR5X memory plus a 512GB or 1TB of UFS 4.1 high-speed storage.

Display is never forgotten. It has a 6.9-inch AMOLED 120Hz 2D display with Superpixel technology.

It’s promised to be sharper than a 2K Pentile display. It’s also more battery efficient with its smaller 1.5K display resolution. Brightness levels can even go as low 1 nit.

Other pro-grade display features include the DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut, DC Dimming, as well as support for HDR Vivid, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision content.

Weirdly, despite that massive display, the Ultra variant only has a 6800mAh Si/C battery. For context, the base 17 and 17 Pro Max are equipped with 7000mAh and 7500mAh respectively.

That can be topped up either via 90W wired HyperCharge or 50W wireless HyperCharge standards. USB-C PD, QC, and PPS wired charging protocols are supported as well for non-Xiaomi chargers.

For data transfers, it has USB-C 3.2 Gen2 support for faster speeds of up to 10Gbps.

Durability-wise, the front is protected by Xiaomi’s Longjing Glass 3.0. That’s then backed by the flagship-grade triple IP resistance rating: IP66, IP68, and IP69.

Xiaomi was also able to trim down the 17 Ultra’s waist to just 8.29mm (versus 15 Ultra’s 9.3mm). This makes their slimmest Ultra flagship so far.

Lastly, it runs Xiaomi’s latest HyperOS 3 with all the new Android features and AI tools in mind. Cross-compatibility with Apple’s iOS, iPadOS, and macOS weren’t left behind.

Leica Limited

With the continuous partnership of the major Chinese AIoT brand and Germany’s premium camera maker, they have also launched a limited Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica.

The original Leica team was involved when making this Limited Edition unit. Thus, the inspiration of Leica M-series cameras.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

That dual-tone back panel incorporates a textured leather for added grip. The mid-frame then has the “LEICA CAMERA GERMANY” engraving that provides added anti-slip grip.

And, for the first time in forever, the signature Leica red dot badge is placed at the side of the camera instead of Xiaomi’s “Ultra” branding.

But, the highlight of the show has got to be the Leica Camera Ring*. This is their way of putting the focus ring directly onto the Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s circular camera bump, mimicking how mirrorless camera lenses work when focusing prior shooting.

It’s also user-customizable as settings can be set between switching into different focal lengths, change f-stop (aperture), EV (Exposure Value), even triggering the camera app by fast-twisting the mechanism when locked.

Xiaomi and Leica made it possible by embedding 20 high-strength ball bearings and an internal optical displacement sensor. Those not only gives the tactility, it also gives smooth, fast, and precise focusing.

* FYI, don’t expect this feature to be in the regular Ultra units. This is only limited to the Leica variant.

It doesn’t stop there! It also features an exclusive Leica Essential Mode. This recreates the looks of the iconic Leica M3 and M9 cameras.

As for the process itself, it’s never simple. Xiaomi trained a “RAW-to-RGB” Style Transfer model which gives the closest authentic look possible (such as the Leica MONOPAN 50 film) — more than what regular filters provide.

Lastly, Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica introduces the mobile industry’s first CAI Photo Authenticity Protection technology.

It just means that in a photo taken with a digital signature, the original attributes are also stored in the phone’s dedicated security chip. This further ensures that the photograph was really taken through the lenses of the special phone and not by Generative AI.

Pricing and Availability

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra comes in Black, White, Cold Smoke Purple, and Starry Sky Green colorways.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The latest smartphones comes in three configurations:

12 + 512GB = CNY 6999 (US$ 980 / EUR 835 / GBP 730 / SG$ 1260 / MYR 4130 / PhP 56,440 / INR 87,110)
16 + 512GB = CNY 7499 (US$ 1100 / EUR 900 / GBP 780 / SG$ 1345 / PhP 59,590 / INR 90,980)
16 + 1TB = CNY 8499 (US$ 1185 / EUR 1020 / GBP 870 / SG$ 1520 / PhP 67,670 / INR 101,930)

Leica Limited Edition is then available in Black or Off-White duotone shades with only two configurations:

16 + 512GB = CNY 7999 (US$ 1115 / EUR 960 / GBP 820 / SG$ 1430 / PhP 63,685 / INR 95,930)
16 + 1TB = CNY 8999 (US$ 1260 / EUR 1070 / GBP 920 / SG$ 600 / PhP 70,905 / INR 107,700)

* These are only estimated pricing conversions

The phone will be on-sale in Mainland China starting December 27, 2025 at 10AM. Global availability, just like Ultra releases of the past, were never mentioned.

Hopefully, they will consider international markets this time.

UPDATE: Global Release

Just today, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra makes its global debut in Barcelona, Spain. ICYMI, Xiaomi 13 Ultra was the last phone launched “globally.”

Pricing for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra starts at EUR 1499 with 512GB and 1TB options. However, purple is only China-exclusive as it did not make the cut for international markets.

Meanwhile, the Leica Edition (named Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi) retails for EUR 1999 and only comes in black and 1TB storage.

The Photography Kit and Photography Kit Pro are also being sold for EUR 99.99 and EUR 199.99 respectively.

Additionally, those who will purchase the any of the Xiaomi 17 phones in eligible markets will enjoy these exclusive benefits with no additional cost:

3-month trial of Google AI Pro + 2TB Google cloud storage
3-month trial of YouTube Premium
4-month trial of Spotify Premium

News

This Nokia phone can also be a powerbank

The Nokia 300 Charge has a 3700mAh battery that can charge other devices.

Published

August 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Did you know that the original Nokia 3310 had only up to 1000mAh of battery life per charge? And yet, a single charge is enough to last ages. That’s because a “dumb” phone doesn’t really need a lot of juice to work. But what if you stick a larger battery onto a dumb phone. Well, you can get a phone that can double as a powerbank, and that’s just what the new Nokia 300 Charge is.

Despite the abundance of smarter options today, dumb phones, especially those from Nokia, can still find a home in the hands of those who don’t want to feel connected 24/7. Now, there’s another use for a dumb phone: a savior for your main phone.

The Nokia 300 Charge has a sizable 3700mAh battery. Powering the phone, the battery can supposedly last up to 40 hours on standby. However, it can also double as a powerbank for your other devices, which is a basic 10W reverse wired charging with an included 4-in-1 cable.

Technically, a 3700mAh powerbank is sorely inadequate for today’s devices that often go beyond 5000mAh already. Still, if you’re in a tight situation, the Nokia 300 Charge might be a lifesaver.

In addition to saving your devices from an empty battery, the phone can also save you from darkness with a built-in LED flashlight.

Inside, you’ll get a basic Unisoc SC6531E chipset with 4GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. For that added flavor of nostalgia, the Nokia 300 Charge comes with a retro QVGA camera.

HMD has not announced when the phone will come out or its price, but you can expect it to be cheaper than most phones today.

Gaming

Stage Tour is resurrecting your Rock Band childhood

You can rock the guitar, the drums, or vocals to your favorite songs.

Published

August 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

A new Witcher 3 DLC, a new Final Fantasy VII, Mega Man, Rayman, and Crazy Taxi. What year is it again? With games as nostalgic as these coming out, there’s one game that can complete the circle: Rock Band. Now, resurrecting an era of rhythm games, Stage Tour will have you playing the guitar, the drums, or vocals in a star-studded game with a lot of iconic tracks.

For those who played through the classic Guitar Hero or Rock Band, Stage Tour needs no introduction. However, if you’re new to the scene, the game simply puts you into the shoes of a rock band. You can wield a guitar, a set of drums, or a microphone. And yes, the game comes with a customized controller for each instrument.

As for the soundtrack, you can rock and jam to a lot of the catchiest songs from yesteryear to today including titles from BABYMETAL, Paramore, Slipknot, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Black Eyed Peas, Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Metallica, Walk the Moon, and Olivia Rodrigo.

Stage Tour launches on December 10 for all major platforms like PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2. You can also grab their official accessories through their site, but they do cost a pretty penny.

Gaming

HoYoverse’s Nodusfall looks like nothing they’ve ever made before

But it looks so similar to Elden Ring or Dark Souls.

Published

August 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

There’s a certain aesthetic you’ll always expect whenever you see HoYoverse mentioned. Touting long-standing hits like Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero, the publisher’s games often have bright and appealing aesthetics, bolstered by highly attractive characters to get you into the gacha groove. However, for the first time, HoYoverse is trying something completely different: Nodusfall, an action RPG that looks and feels like Elden Ring.

Revealed at today’s gamescom, Nodusfall teases a deeply fantastical setting focusing on Weavers taking on ferocious monsters and divine entities. Players will be able to take on these challenges with, based on the trailer, four players. Each player can wield an assortment of weapons including a greatsword, a regular sword, a bow, and magic. The trailer also teases spells that can transform the player into a divine being themselves.

As for the enemies, they have a strangely striking resemblance to other games you might have played before. One is a grizzled warrior who beheads a giant lion, something that’s shockingly identical to Hoarah Loux in Elden Ring. Another rides a dragon, similar to the Nameless King from Dark Souls 3.

Comparisons aside, Nodusfall is an impressive transformation for HoYoverse. Since forever, the publisher thrived on anime aesthetics, highlighted these days by the godly trilogy of Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero.

HoYoverse hasn’t revealed the release date of Nodusfall just yet, but we’re excited to see it in action.