Xiaomi 17 Ultra (& Leica edition) vs Honor Magic 8 Pro Air
Verdict
Xiaomi 17 Ultra (& Leica edition) scores higher on the OH Rank (75 vs 74), winning 1 of 10 categories including Main Camera. Xiaomi 17 Ultra (& Leica edition) is 5.7mm wider than Honor Magic 8 Pro Air. Honor Magic 8 Pro Air is the more recent release, from Jan 23, 2026.
Score Breakdown
Performance /15
Battery /15
Screen /15
IP Protection /15
Main Camera /15
Selfie /5
Video /5
SD Memory /5
Software /5
Desktop Replacement /5
TOTAL
75
74
Xiaomi 17 Ultra (& Leica edition)
77.6mm (3.06in) · Dec 27, 2025 · Rank #35
13+11+11+12+15+4+4+0+5+0 = 75
* TOP Photography
EDITORIAL: Ten months since last Xiaomi’s Ultra comes a phone with the first-ever physical zoom ring. 17 Ultra Leica edition features a physical zoom ring, ribbed frame for better grip, encryption chip and dual satellite communication chops that plain 17 Ultra lacks. Both models loose one of the two telephoto lenses 15 Ultra had and their screens drop below 500ppi. The phones gained in width and battery size but their photography skills are better then ever. SUPERPOWER: this is the TOP 5 photo phone in the world
PROs
very fast SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance, >30hr endurance from a 6000mAh (6800mAh in China) Si-C diode battery with sub-60min 90W (50W wireless) charging, excellent >1100nits bright 416ppi LTPO OLED screen with >2000 PWM dimming and Dolby Vision, IP69 (down to 6m for up to 30min), superb photography from a 50MP 1″ 23mm OIS main + 200MP 75-100mm OIS periscope telephoto + 50MP 14mm ultra wide (all PDAF) Leica back camera, good 50MP selfie (no AF), very good video recording, up to 4 years of very stable HyperOS
CONs
1.6mm taller and 2.3mm wider, no expandable memory slot, minor software glitches and no desktop replacement functionality
Honor Magic 8 Pro Air
71.9mm (2.83in) · Jan 23, 2026 · Rank #44
13+11+13+12+12+4+4+0+5+0 = 74
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectations of battery endurance, charging speed and imaging performance) Following Samsung, Apple and Motorola, Honor is putting out a 6mm thin phone. But this one is also a compact measuring less then 72mm in width (competition is all >74mm). The 8 Pro Air comes with a bigger battery, faster charging and a smaller screen. It has a full set of 3 back cameras instead of 2 on Samsung and Motorola and just 1 on iPhone. The battery life should last over 30 hours under moderate load – much longer then competition.
PROs
thin and compact, just 155g, excellent build, fast Dimensity 9500 performance, >30hr endurance of 5500mAh Si-C battery with sub-60min fast 80W (and 50W wireless) charging. >1600nits bright 450ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision and >4000Hz PWM dimming, IP69 protection, great photos from a 50MP 23mm OIS PDAF main + 64MP 74mm OIS PDAF periscope telephoto + 50MP 16mm ultrawide (no AF), very good 50MP 21mm (no AF) selfie, very good video recording and up to 7 years of OS updates
CONs
limited market availability, no AF on ultrawide and selfie, no expandable memory, no desktop replacement functionality, slow USBC 2.0 with no Video Out, China only
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.
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