Xiaomi launches 17 series worldwide at €999, debuting Wear OS watch and Find Hub tracker

Xiaomi’s flagship line finally leaves the Chinese market and lands on European shelves, with the base Xiaomi 17 starting at €999 and the premium Xiaomi 17 Ultra at €1,499, according to 9to5Google. Both devices run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the first‑generation chips to power a global flagship series. The standard 17 packs a 6.3‑inch LTPO OLED panel, 12 GB or 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB or 512 GB of storage, and a 6,330 mAh battery, while the Ultra ups the ante with a 6.9‑inch display, up to 1 TB of storage, a 6,000 mAh cell and 90 W fast‑charging. The Ultra’s camera suite is the headline: a 50 MP primary sensor, a new 200 MP Leica‑branded sensor, a 50 MP ultrawide lens and a 50 MP front‑facer, plus a groundbreaking 1‑inch “LOFIC” Light Fusion 1050L sensor that promises higher full‑well capacity and next‑gen HDR, as Xiaomi’s press release notes. The Leica 200 MP 75‑100 mm telephoto module adds a mechanical optical zoom that reaches a 400 mm (17.2×) equivalent focal length, a claim echoed in the company’s technical brief.

Beyond phones, Xiaomi is expanding its ecosystem with a suite of new accessories unveiled at MWC 2026. The Xiaomi Pad 8 series, priced from €449.99, features an 11.2‑inch screen, the same Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, and a massive 9,200 mAh battery housed in a 5.75 mm thin chassis, according to 9to5Google. The company’s first Find Hub tracker, dubbed the Xiaomi Tag, sells for €14.99 and doubles as an AirTag‑style device that also works with Apple’s Find My network, a move that positions Xiaomi against established Bluetooth‑tracker players. The new Xiaomi Watch 5, running Wear OS 6 and powered by Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, starts at €299.99 and boasts a 930 mAh silicon‑carbon battery. Xiaomi highlights novel wrist gestures—two‑finger pinch, double rub, snap, shake and rotate—to dismiss calls, silence alarms, launch workouts, control the camera, or invoke Google services such as Gemini, Wallet and YouTube Music, as detailed in the product announcement.

The Ultra’s camera hardware has already drawn attention from the photography community. CNET’s pro‑photographer review notes that the Leica‑tuned optics and the 1‑inch sensor could make the 17 Ultra a serious contender in the “premium‑phone” segment, especially for users who need long‑range zoom without the ghosting and colour fringing typical of digital zoom. Wired’s earlier coverage of the Xiaomi 15 series praised the brand’s focus on photography, and the 17 Ultra’s specs suggest a continuation of that strategy, now with a 200 MP sensor and a true optical zoom that reaches 400 mm equivalents. While the review cautions that software processing will ultimately determine image quality, the hardware leap is undeniable.

Xiaomi’s broader product rollout signals a push to build a more cohesive hardware ecosystem that rivals Apple’s and Samsung’s. The inclusion of a Wear OS smartwatch and a cross‑platform tracker indicates a desire to capture users who are already entrenched in Google’s services. TechCrunch highlighted the launch as “an ultra‑ambitious push” that could help Xiaomi transition from a price‑competitive brand to a premium lifestyle player. However, the pricing—€999 for the base phone and €1,499 for the Ultra—places Xiaomi squarely in the territory of Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro line and Samsung’s Galaxy S Ultra models, raising questions about market reception in price‑sensitive European markets.

Analysts have not yet released detailed forecasts, but the combination of Snapdragon 8 Elite hardware, Leica‑engineered optics, and a diversified accessory lineup suggests Xiaomi is betting on a “flagship‑plus” strategy to capture both high‑end consumers and ecosystem lock‑in. If the Ultra’s camera performance lives up to its specifications, it could carve out a niche among photography enthusiasts who have traditionally gravitated toward Apple or Sony. Meanwhile, the affordable Pad 8 and the low‑cost Find Hub tracker may serve as entry points, encouraging users to adopt multiple Xiaomi devices and deepen brand loyalty. The true test will come after the first quarter of sales, when real‑world adoption data can confirm whether Xiaomi’s premium push can sustain its rapid growth trajectory.