Erencan YılmazAs competition among camera-focused flagship smartphones intensifies day by day, Xiaomi appears to be taking its long-standing partnership with German optics giant Leica to the next level. While leaks about the standard version of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra have been dominating the tech news lately, a new entry spotted in the IMEI database reveals that the brand is working on a much more ambitious project. This new model, marketed as the “Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi,” stands out as a special edition aimed at combining luxury and performance in mobile photography.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s two variants have been officially confirmed
The first concrete information regarding the Xiaomi 17 Ultra series appeared recently. The first variant was spotted with the model number “2512BPNDAG”, and it was determined that the internal codename for this device is “P1”. This model is expected to be released as the standard “Ultra” model of the series. However, the truly exciting development occurred with a second variant added to the IMEI database, featuring a completely different naming scheme.
The newly detected record bears the model number “25128PNA1G”, and the internal codename for this device has been identified as “P1S”. The “S” suffix here is thought to represent words like “Special”. In the GSMA records, the marketing name for this model is explicitly listed as “Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi”. This indicates that Xiaomi could announce this device under the name “Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition” or the more prestigious “Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Leitzphone Edition“.
The Leitz Legacy and Xiaomi Collaboration
There is a deep-rooted history behind this naming. The name “Leitz” comes from Ernst Leitz, the founder of the Leica brand. The Leitz family, a legend in the world of photography, represents perfectionism in optical engineering. Although Leica already produces a “Leitz Phone” series (the latest being the Leitz Phone 3) carrying its own brand in the Japanese market through a collaboration with Sharp, a global “Leitzphone” project with Xiaomi could be the brand’s biggest move in the mainstream flagship market. The combination of Xiaomi’s manufacturing power and Leica’s optical heritage could result in a device that sets the bar in smartphone photography.
Surprise change in camera setup: Shift from Quad to Triple
Leaked images of the “Photography Kit” clearly reveal the device’s rear camera layout and refute previous rumors of a “quad-camera” setup. According to the images, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra will come with a triple camera setup instead of four lenses. In the module design, it is observed that a special sensor area or space has been left where the fourth lens would typically be.
This indicates that instead of increasing the number of lenses, Xiaomi is focusing on optimizing the quality and sensor sizes of the existing lenses. The sensor configurations tested under the codename “Nezha” are listed as follows:
- Main Camera: 50MP OVX10500U (also known as OV50X) sensor.
- Telephoto: 200MP S5KHPE
- Ultra Wide Angle: 50MP OV50M or 50MP S5KJN5.
- Front Camera: 50MP OV50M
The transition to a triple camera setup is interpreted as an engineering choice made specifically to make room for the massive 200MP telephoto sensor and a larger main sensor. Additionally, the leaked photography kit appears to include a dedicated grip and filter adapters that transform the device’s ergonomics into that of a DSLR camera.
Performance and Expectations
On the hardware side, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and its special Leitzphone edition are expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 mobile platform. The device, which will come out of the box with the HyperOS 3 operating system, will be equipped with advanced AI features and image processing algorithms exclusive to Leica. Furthermore, information suggests that the global version will support satellite communication.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra series aims to be not just a smartphone, but a professional camera you can carry in your pocket. These two devices, codenamed “P1” and “P1S”, are expected to be introduced in the last quarter of 2025 (December 2025, based on the ‘2512’ in the model number) and are set to reshuffle the deck in the world of mobile photography.
