Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s camera kit reminds me that Samsung, Google are far behind

I have been reviewing phones for almost a decade. And countless times over this period, brands have claimed that their phones can replace actual DSLRs or mirrorless cameras. Every time I’ve heard that, I have wanted to respond with The Rock’s raised eyebrow meme.

Despite my skepticism, I cannot deny that I have encountered several great camera phones in recent years that reproduce an effect quite similar to that of an “actual” camera. Some phones, like the vivo X300 Pro, achieve that through the image’s superficial impression, while others, such as the OPPO Find X9 Pro, realize it through tactile feedback from elements like extendable lenses. My most recent interaction that evoked a similar sensation was with another camera stalwart, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, a phone that tries to recreate some of the DSLR magic with variable aperture on one of its rear cameras.

In his Xiaomi 17 Ultra review, my colleague Robert Triggs spoke at length about what makes it one of the best camera phones to date. While I largely agree with his analyses, I’m here to talk about one aspect of the phone that I find absolutely fascinating: the brew of physical sensations the phone’s camera kit offers, and why I feel other brands should consider adding at least one such phone to their portfolios.

I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said the Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s camera kit experience delivers a dopamine hit unlike any of its rivals. The company has decked it out for a full sensory experience you would expect from an actual camera, offering a breadth of physical controls that simulate the same feel.

While a regular-seeming phone case forms the foundation, the Ultra’s detachable grip is the more vital enabler of the experience. The grip is what holds all the photography-related controls. It slides onto the case from the bottom end of the phone and docks via a USB-C connector. It even has a physical switch that fastens it to the case and keeps it from falling off.

Both the case and the grip have a soft, rubbery finish and a triangular 3D pattern etched into the surface. The soft material and the pattern together enhance grip.

The photography controls are centered around a tactile shutter button with two levels of functions. Just like a regular camera, you can dip it halfway through to force the phone to reset the exposure or focus based on the center of the frame, or push it down entirely to take the shot. Pressing and holding the button can also launch the camera, and I love that it even works when the phone is locked or the display is turned off.

The shutter button’s cap can be replaced by simply unscrewing it. Xiaomi includes two of these button caps. I obviously chose the metallic red because it stands out. I feel the red also complements the much smaller video button, right next to the shutter. Clubbed into the shutter button is a zoom rocker that lets you zoom in or out on any object.

In addition to those controls, the grip houses a rotating dial that can be customized to adjust values for various camera settings. You can set it to tweak values for EV, ISO, shutter speed, white balance, or focus. I’ve set it to change the focus because, unlike its more expensive doppleganger, the Leica Leitzphone, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra does not come with a camera ring that could otherwise be used for focusing. That adds a limitation: manual focus adjustments only work in Pro mode, but I’m happy to make that trade-off given the photography kit’s other advantages.

Overall, as you’d expect, the photography grip offers a more novel and engaging sensation that feels much better than touching and swiping over a screen. But beyond the vibe, the Ultra’s photography kit has some practical benefits.

Over the last two months, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra has been my primary camera, and I have used it to click more than 2,000 images. Not all of them are driven by the novelty or the sensation that the camera kit provokes. Instead, I chose the Xiaomi 17 Ultra purposefully, time and again, for three main reasons.

The first is how easy the camera kit, especially the removable grip, makes it to hold the phone in one hand. Usually, when using big, bulky flagships, I use both hands to hold the phone securely, so it won’t fall if I tap the screen quickly or miss the moment if it’s not angled correctly.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra, thankfully, allows me to get rid of this looming anxiety. Rather than clutching the phone with both hands in a claw grip, I just use one hand to shoot in both landscape and portrait modes. Here are some examples of moments the phone has helped me capture.

Besides making the phone easier to hold with one hand, the grip also ensures a solid hold, which brings me to my second reason. The freedom to hold the phone however I like allows me not only to take pictures more efficiently but also to hold it at different heights and angles, which may not always be possible with a regular phone, especially if it’s too big to handle with one hand. I can get up close, both physically and with the excellent built-in zoom, which lets me capture some phenomenal shots, such as the ones below.

For instance, I can hold the phone two feet above my head to take long-range shots, maybe at events such as concerts, or hold it under my knee to capture a tiny wildflower from up close without fearing about the phone too much.

The only time I use my other hand is to tap the screen to focus on a specific object.

Adding to that sense of freedom (and my third reason to recommend the Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s camera kit) are the controls on the grip. While the camera shutter button is relatively common — even the iPhone has its own version, and so do some other Ultra Android flagships — the zoom rocker and customizable dial further reduce the need to interact with the screen. They allow most controls to be within a single hand’s reach.

And although the standard Xiaomi 17 Ultra variant lacks the focusing ring around the camera (which the Leica Lietz variant offers), the rotating dial can be customized to achieve that effect.

The included red lanyard strap feels like another thoughtful addition that further guarantees confidence while using the phone with a single hand. And to top that, the USB-C port on the grip works as a passthrough for current. In addition to fast-charging the phone, the grip also packs an additional 2,000mAh battery, which serves as a helpful reserve for all-day shooting.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s camera case also includes a slot for standard camera lens filters. The silver ring around the camera bump can be removed and replaced with a 67mm adapter that is also included in the kit. This adapter can be used to attach standard color or polarizing filters to the phone.

I’ve used it to attach inexpensive fixed ND (Neutral Density) filters, which limit the amount of light. Along with the obvious benefit of eliminating any flares from direct sunlight or overexposed areas, using an ND filter also allows better control over background bokeh.

Here’s an example of how controlling exposure in broad daylight helps achieve better, more appealing colors and contrast, even without any color correction.

In addition to ND filters, the 67mm ring can be used to attach CPL, UV, scratch guards, or other tinted filters.

Two months and 2,000 images later, there’s one thing I’m sure of: I prefer the extra controls that Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s photography kit offers. The reasons, as I’ve specified above, extend beyond the equipment’s novelty alone and are based on the overall heightened experience. The most dominant of them all is that the kit’s camera-inspired controls feel like the more natural way to use the Xiaomi 17 Ultra for photography rather than its touchscreen.

That brings me to my next point: specialized photography kits also help separate “Android phones with camera-centric identities” from “Android flagships that can take good pictures.” The latter kind includes Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Pixel 10 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro.

Chinese brands — not just Xiaomi, but also vivo, OPPO, and, most recently, HUAWEI — have developed specialized hardware, giving them a strong lead over the aforementioned US-focused brands in smartphone photography. Of the three, we could excuse Apple for its large share of third-party camera accessories that replicate what Xiaomi does, although unofficially, but Samsung and Google remain seemingly uninterested. And that needs to change, at least for the subset of US-based consumers who want Ultra cameras that justify the price. At least Apple is on track to accomplish that in the future.

The final question is, does the Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s photography chops make you a better photographer? I would say it probably doesn’t make you a better photographer, but it does improve your results by making you more efficient. And, as it has happened in my case, that should help you feel inspired to take a lot more photos than you usually do. The phone’s 200MP telephoto and the almost 1-inch primary sensor with LOFIC HDR support put up a brilliant fight against even the best of Android camera phones.