Xiaomi has officially confirmed that its next premium flagship, the Xiaomi 16 Ultra, is in the works. This time, the company isn’t waiting for rumours or leaks to make the first move. Lu Weibing, who is Xiaomi’s President, announced on Weibo that the new Ultra-series phone is coming and promised that it will set a “new height of mobile imaging.” The teaser also confirmed that Xiaomi and Leica will continue their collaboration for camera tuning, just like they did for earlier Ultra-branded devices.
This confirmation comes much earlier than expected. Usually, Xiaomi unveils its top-tier Ultra smartphones a few months after the standard flagship series. However, this time, the brand seems to be speeding things up. Well-known Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station has now suggested that the Xiaomi 16 Ultra might arrive before its usual launch window. In fact, the tip hints at a debut sometime towards the end of 2025. If that happens, Xiaomi could be planning to launch the Xiaomi 16, 16 Pro, and 16 Ultra models together, something the company hasn’t done before.
To put things in context, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra was introduced in China in February 2025. A month later, it was showcased globally at MWC 2025 in Barcelona and then brought to India in March. The phone was launched in a single variant featuring 16GB RAM and 512GB of internal storage, priced at Rs 1,09,999.
While Xiaomi hasn’t officially revealed the specifications of the 16 Ultra yet, several leaks have already given us a good idea of what to expect. The focus, as always with the Ultra line, will be on the camera. The 16 Ultra is tipped to feature a 50-megapixel main sensor with a large 1-inch size for better light capture. This could be paired with a high-resolution 200-megapixel periscope-style telephoto camera measuring 1/1.28 inches, offering strong zoom performance. Additionally, a 50-megapixel Sony LYT600 sensor is also expected to be part of the rear camera system.
The upcoming phone is also said to come with a large 6.8-inch LTPO display that supports 2K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It could be powered by Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset, which is expected to drive many Android flagships launching later this year and early next year.
Battery life may be another strong point. Reports claim that Xiaomi might use a battery with a capacity between 7,000mAh and 7,500mAh in the 16 Ultra. If true, this would place the phone well ahead of most premium models when it comes to power backup. Fast charging support is also expected, with 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging being rumoured.
Although there is no official confirmation about when the Xiaomi 16 Ultra will arrive in India, the early teaser suggests the company is preparing for a global push sooner than usual. For now, all eyes are on Xiaomi’s next move, as it looks to further strengthen its Ultra lineup in the premium flagship space.
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