We unbox the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica, Galaxy S26 series leaks, Week 3 in review

It may only be the third week of 2026, but one of the most anticipated phones of the year arrived at our doorstep – the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica. The phone comes in an exclusive dual-tone finish, inspired by Leica cameras, complete with the signature Red Dot logo. The retail package is quite nice, featuring a 100W charger, braided USB-A to USB-C cable, a case, a metal Leica lens cap, a red wrist strap and a polishing cloth.

Xiaomi’s top-tier flagship also features a knurled metal frame and a Control Ring – a mechanically-rotating ring around the camera island, which zooms between focal lengths (and cameras).

Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica in for review

A very special edition made in tandem between Leica and Xiaomi.

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 and S26 Ultra appeared in new Geekbench listings ahead of their February 25 launch. Both phones are listed with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, but the units from the tests offer different clock speeds compared to the standard variant of the CPU.

Galaxy S26 Ultra appears to use a slightly underclocked version of the chip, featuring two cores at 4.19GHz and six cores at 3.63GHz, while the regular S26 was spotted with an overclocked version, with two cores boosted to 4.74GHz, with the remaining six cores running at 3.63GHz.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra also leaked in a neat-looking aramid fiber case, which confirmed its redesigned camera island and more rounded corners.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S26 spotted on Geekbench

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is listed with an underclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

Another Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra case showcases its design

The redesigned camera island, the more rounded corners – confirmed again.

We also saw Xiaomi 17 Air, which was supposed to be the Chinese brand’s answer to the iPhone Air. It reportedly got canceled and was supposed to measure just 5.5mm thin while still offering dual cameras with a 200MP main, Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and a 6.59-inch screen.

Xiaomi’s scrapped 17 Air was only 5.5mm thin

A new video on Chinese social media showcases the slim chassis of the device that never got to see the daylight.

While we wait for the Galaxy S26 series to launch, Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Ultra will reportedly get an updated 200MP main cam featuring the ISOCELL S5KHP6 sensor. It’s expected to be the same size as the ISOCELL HP2 in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but with newer tech that allows for improved output.

Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra camera details tipped

The phone is said to get upgraded wide and ultrawide cameras at the back.

According to rumors, vivo’s first V70 series phones – the V70 and V70 Elite are set to launch in India in mid-February. The V70 FE will reportedly join them at a later date. The RedMagic 11 Air is confirmed to launch on January 20 (Tuesday).

vivo V70, V70 Elite to launch in February, V70 FE to debut later

The vivo V70 could be a rebranded S50.

RedMagic 11 Air to be unveiled on January 20

It is said to be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC and an in-built active cooling fan.

We also got some details for the displays on the iPhone 18 series. We’re expecting a total of four phones once again, with all models retaining the same display sizes, but the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are once again tipped to feature under-display cutouts for the Face ID system.

The Nothing Phone (4a) series is confirmed to make the switch to UFS 3.1 storage and will most likely come with higher starting prices.

Xiaomi is expected to expand its 17 series with a 17 Max featuring an 8,000 mAh battery with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip.

iPhone 18 lineup display specs tipped

The iPhone 18 Pro models are once again rumored to feature under-display Face ID technology.

Nothing Phone (4a) series to have improved storage, possibly higher prices

There’s also the option of other specs being downgraded compared to the (3a) models.

Xiaomi 17 Max is coming with the biggest battery in the lineup

It will be positioned above the Xiaomi 17.

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