# Xiaomi 17 Ultra Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/xiaomi-17-ultra/ 5 people recommended Xiaomi 17 Ultra in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and 6 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 12 months, in 4 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** Criticized more than recommended: critics say its AI moon photos are fake; those who recommend it cite cameras, periscope zoom and battery life, which owners say beat Apple and Samsung. Summary written by Claude from the comments below. ## What people warn about - AI moon photos mistake sun and moon (4 comments in the sample): "the tomfoolery Xiaomi is doing to give the impression their phone can take a zoomed in photo of the moon" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49296691)) "they never turned off this "fake moon" feature after being caught the first time" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49296184)) "Great, the sun has moon craters now. GenAI at its best." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49303691)) ## Why people recommend it - Better cameras than Apple or Samsung (4 comments in the sample): "Better battery life, larger batteries, better screens, faster charging. Much better cameras." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46415655)) "Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Vivo X300 Ultra beat any Apple or Samsung in cameras and battery etc etc" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48908539)) "Neither Apple nor Samsung are capable of delivering this level of quality" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49541028)) - 200MP sensor and periscope zoom (2 comments in the sample): "Xiaomi’s 17 Ultra 5G stands out in the flagship segment thanks to its 200MP primary sensor" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46171310)) "The only reason i use this phone is periscope camera and it's quality" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49540037)) ## Other smartphones people recommend - [Apple iPhone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone/): 438 recommend, 190 mixed, 789 criticize - [Fairphone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/fairphone/): 110 recommend, 42 mixed, 94 criticize - [iPhone 13 mini](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-13-mini/): 105 recommend, 32 mixed, 44 criticize - [Apple iPhone Pro](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-17-pro/): 90 recommend, 45 mixed, 138 criticize ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://www.mi.com/global) ## The badge A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged. ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Xiaomi 17 Ultra", https://hackerapproved.com/p/xiaomi-17-ultra/ (5 recommend, 1 mixed, 6 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026). Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.