The Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica arrived for review this week, featuring an exclusive dual-tone finish inspired by Leica cameras and the signature Red Dot logo. The retail package includes a 100W charger, braided cable, case, and a metal Leica lens cap. Xiaomi's flagship boasts a knurled metal frame and a mechanical Control Ring for camera zoom.

Simultaneously, Samsung's Galaxy S26 and S26 Ultra appeared in Geekbench listings ahead of their February launch. Both are listed with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, but with different clock speeds. The Ultra reportedly uses an underclocked variant, while the standard S26 shows an overclocked version, suggesting performance tuning for different models.

The leaks also confirmed the Galaxy S26 Ultra's redesigned camera island and rounded corners via a new aramid fiber case. Meanwhile, Xiaomi's ultra-thin 17 Air model was reportedly canceled, and Samsung's future Galaxy S27 Ultra is rumored to get a 200MP main camera upgrade. The mobile industry's early 2026 is already packed with flagship reveals and strategic shifts.