Xiaomi 17 Ultra (& Leica edition) vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Verdict
Xiaomi 17 Ultra (& Leica edition) scores higher on the OH Rank (75 vs 74), winning 3 of 10 categories including Performance and Battery. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is 1.4mm wider than Xiaomi 17 Ultra (& Leica edition). Xiaomi 17 Ultra (& Leica edition) is the more recent release, from Dec 27, 2025.
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
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
79mm (3.11in) · Jan 24, 2024 · Rank #47
9+6+15+12+12+5+5+0+5+5 = 74
* BEST Phone Spring Summer 2024* TOP Screen* TOP Selfie* TOP Video Recording* TOP Software* TOP Desktop Replacement
EDITORIAL: This 2024 phone is that good. Samsung fit everything in there, a stylus, 6 cameras (!), the best screen in the industry and (almost) 24 hours of battery life. In 2024, this was the best phone ever made by the world's biggest phone making corporation. It had the most features too, by far. Samsung also included seven years (!) of OS updates as well as amazing desktop replacement (DeX) software. Consider that at 79 mm wide, this is a "two hands and a bag" phone.
PROs
SnapDragon 8 Gen 3 processor fast performance, 1400+nits 500+ppi LTPO AMOLED with HDR10+, 200MP OIS main + 10MP OIS tele + 50MP OIS tele and a 12MP ultrawide (all with PDAF), 12MP PDAF Selfie, top AI features trickling down with software updates, 7 years of OS updates, stylus with Bluetooth and of course: the DeX feature that may save you from buying a new computer
CONs
size, barely a day of battery endurance with slow charging, lack of expandable SDmemory storage
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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