Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica: Caution when importing, some users complain about issues with zoom ring

Initial impressions and reviews from China regarding the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica Special Edition have been mostly positive, but there are also some critical voices on Chinese social networks. This criticism focuses less on the photo and video quality of the new Leica smartphone cameras, but rather on the quality control of the first retail units that have already been shipped. Specifically, the zoom ring on some Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica units appears to be wobbly, as illustrated in the video embedded below.

Not all Xiaomi 17 units are affected by this, as Hong Kong-based user Devinarde reported that his Leitzphone Edition does not exhibit this problem. Either way, there are some quite dissatisfied customers in China. We expect that Xiaomi will resolve this issue by the time the global variant hits the market, but anyone planning to import the phone from China or who has already placed an order should check their unit early and maybe request a return.

In addition to our import partner Tradingshenzhen, other retailers are now offering the Xiaomi 17 Ultra in several color and model variants for shipping to Europe. For instance, Wondamobile as well as Trinity Electronics ship directly from Hong Kong, while the Average Dad Shop ships from the UK and UAE. All of them offer a short one-year warranty and a limited return policy compared to regular smartphone purchases in the EU, which is why a quick inspection after receiving the phone is highly recommended.