Xiaomi’s next Ultra flagship, the Xiaomi 16 Ultra, could see an earlier launch than its predecessor, according to industry speculation. While the company typically unveils its Ultra-branded devices in the first quarter, new hints suggest that the Xiaomi 16 Ultra may debut by the end of 2025.

The speculation gained momentum after Lu Weibing, a partner at Xiaomi Group and President of Xiaomi, took to Chinese social media platform Weibo to hint at the forthcoming device. Referring to the Xiaomi 16 Ultra as marking a “new height of mobile imaging,” his statement effectively confirmed the handset’s existence and ongoing partnership with German optics company Leica.

Adding to the buzz, known industry insider Digital Chat Station, citing translated information from Chinese sources, suggested that the flagship device might launch earlier than initially anticipated. The Xiaomi 16 Ultra is now expected to launch in China alongside the Xiaomi 16 and Xiaomi 16 Pro models, possibly within this calendar year.

For context, Xiaomi launched the 15 Ultra in China in February 2025, with the global unveiling taking place a month later at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It was subsequently introduced in India at a price of ₹1,09,999 for the 16GB RAM and 512GB storage variant.

Rumoured specifications

Early leaks point to significant hardware upgrades for the Xiaomi 16 Ultra. The device is said to house a 50MP primary camera sensor. Additionally, a 200MP periscope telephoto lens (1/1.28-inch sensor) and a 50MP Sony LYT600 sensor (1/2-inch) are expected to form part of its rear camera setup, continuing Xiaomi’s focus on high-end mobile photography.

The smartphone is also tipped to feature a 6.8-inch LTPO display with 2K resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, it may run on Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset.

Powering the device could be a large battery, reportedly in the range of 7,000mAh to 7,500mAh, with support for 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.

More details are likely to emerge in the coming weeks, especially if Xiaomi is indeed planning to bring forward its launch timeline.