Xiaomi on Thursday unveiled the 17 Ultra, its latest premium smartphone model that features improved night photography and mobile imaging capabilities on the back of the firm’s enhanced partnership with German camera maker Leica.
“We work together to build future-proof optical technology … and completely reshape the mobile photography experience,” Xiaomi president Lu Weibing said at the handset’s launch.
In a side-by-side comparison of dimly lit photos taken in Hong Kong with Xiaomi’s 17 Ultra and Apple’s high-end iPhone 17 Pro Max, Lu claimed that the set of Xiaomi images was noticeably sharper, while the iPhone photos appeared blurred.
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“By bringing our optical expertise into Xiaomi smartphones, we’re making professional photography more accessible,” said Siegmund Dukek, managing director of Leica Camera Greater China.
The confidence of the two partners reflected their determination to win over iPhone fans in mainland China, while defying expectations of tepid domestic demand owing to weak consumer spending and heightened competition from Chinese competitors like Huawei Technologies and Honor.
Beijing-based Xiaomi also introduced on Thursday a special-edition handset, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica, which features the classic Leica logo and a design inspired by the German firm’s cameras.
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