CheckMag | Xiaomi 17 Pro (Max): First Leica camera reviews and comparison with iPhone 17 Pro Max, Galaxy S25 Ultra and Xiaomi 15 Pro

The following screenshots have been taken from a test video by a well-known smartphone reviewer in China (Xiaobai Evaluation on Weibo). In these first sample shots, the advantages of the new Light Hunter 950L sensor in the 23mm main camera of the two current Leica camera flagships are clearly visible. With its extremely wide dynamic range of 16.5 stops, it shows noticeable improvements compared to the previous-gen Xiaomi 15 Pro and the similarly sized 1/1.28-inch sensor in the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

At night, the new Xiaomi 17 Pro duo manages to pull ahead of the Xiaomi 15 Pro in terms of dynamic range.

Ultra wide-angle with narrower field of view

The next set of photos compares the ultra wide-angle cameras, and there's a clear drawback of the new Xiaomi 17 generation. The field of view has narrowed from the equivalent of 14mm to 17mm. Brightness has also dropped slightly, which is especially noticeable when zooming in.
 

Telephoto in the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max

While the ultra wide-angle and main cameras in the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max are identical, only the Pro Max model features a larger 1/2-inch sensor and a wider aperture for its 5x telephoto camera. In daylight, this difference is not very noticeable. In the flower pictures, the richer colors stand out and the Xiaomi 17 series produces a stronger 3D effect.

Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max 5x telephoto shots at night

Zoom photos at night have traditionally been a weakness of smartphone cameras. Unless image processing tricks were involved, this scenario shows clear advantages for the two Xiaomi 17 flagships compared with their predecessor and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Both of those competitors struggle with bright light sources, leading to blur and more pronounced optical artifacts. The iPhone 17 Pro Max also delivers a night shot with limited dynamic range in the final photo set.

Telemacro differences

The video also highlights telemacro performance. On the iPhone 17 Pro, the required distance to the subject is about 100 cm or 39 inches, which makes true macro shots practically impossible. On the Xiaomi 17 Pro, this distance is only 20 cm or 7.9 inches, while 30 cm or 11.8 inches suffice for the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. Below is a telemacro photo comparing the two Xiaomi 17 Pro models.
 

Portrait shots

As the final part of this camera comparison, we want to look at two examples of portrait shots taken with these phones, although the differences here are likely a matter of personal preference.

Comparison with Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro Max

The well-known leaker Ice Universe has already shared a few comparison photos of the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max and its rivals. The matchup with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is particularly notable, as Samsung’s flagship does not perform particularly well in this dynamic range test, while Apple’s new camera flagship holds up reasonably well.

Xiaomi 17 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

When it comes to pure in-image dynamic range, there is a clear winner between the 50MP 1/1.28-inch main camera of the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max and the similarly sized 200MP 1/1.3-inch sensor of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.