Xiaomi 17 Ultra (& Leica edition) vs Samsung Galaxy S25
Verdict
Xiaomi 17 Ultra (& Leica edition) scores higher on the OH Rank (75 vs 74), winning 3 of 10 categories including Performance and Battery. Xiaomi 17 Ultra (& Leica edition) is 7.1mm wider than Samsung Galaxy S25. 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 S25
70.5mm (2.78in) · Feb 3, 2025 · Rank #46
11+7+13+12+12+5+4+0+5+5 = 74
FLY* TOP Selfie* TOP Software* TOP Desktop Replacement
EDITORIAL: S25 is taking on other flagship phones with excellent (very pocketable) build, great screen, good cameras, excellent selfie and of course: DeX -the best desktop replacement software there is. This year, Samsung is focusing on the software side, adding tons of features meant to set it apart. The battery tests confirmed our expectations: S25 offers no improvement over S24's mediocre battery life and charging performance. S25 is not bad but what a shame to have to worry about topping up your phone before going out in the evening.
PROs
just 70mm wide, fast SnapDragon 8 Elite performance, 1400+nits bright >410ppi 120Hz LTPO AMOLED screen with HDR10+, very good 50MP 24mm OIS AF main + 10MP 67mm OIS AF tele + 12MP 13mm ultrawide setup, excellent 12MP 26mm PDAF Selfie, leading AI features, 7 years of OS updates and DeX software that can save you so much money, fast USB-C 3.2 with Display Port and OTG, global availability and service
CONs
less-than-a-day battery endurance, fixed focus ultrawide is it's imaging weakness, no expandable 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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