This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra. | Image by PhoneArena
Most smartphone brands these days produce phones in four categories: entry-level, mid-range, Pro, and Ultra flagship models. While the first three target all kinds of audiences, the Ultra model is designed for a small group of individuals, especially tech enthusiasts that are comfortable paying the higher price.
However, a new report suggests that certain companies might stop making Ultra flagship phones. What's even more surprising is that most of our readers actually don't care about this decision at all. Here's what I think could be the reason behind such low popularity of these high-end phones.
The discontinuation of Ultra phones doesn't affect you at all
My colleague Abdullah recently covered a story about a report stating that some Chinese smartphone makers are considering hitting the brakes on the production of high-end phones until the prices of chips and RAM become normal. The article contained a poll where you were asked to share your thoughts on this.
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At the time of writing, the poll has received 419 votes, with more than 50% of the voters saying that they really don't care about this decision at all. If I were asked to vote for any option, I would also have gone with the majority of the voters.
Why Chinese smartphone makers might stop making high-end phones
Before I explain why I, along with many other voters, don't really care about ultra-flagship phones from brands, allow me to briefly explain why some Chinese smartphone makers might make this decision. As it turns out, Ultra phones don't sell in nearly as big numbers as the other models.
The manufacturing costs of these devices are also comparatively very high, as they feature the highest-end hardware. And since we are currently in the chipflation phase, producing these high-end phones carries the risk of financial loss. As a result, some brands are reportedly considering hitting the brakes on production of their Ultra phones.
It's worth noting that the report clearly mentions Chinese brands. That means companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung are not referred to here.
Will the discontinuation of Chinese Ultra phones affect you?
Pricing is definitely the one main reason
Huawei Pura X Max. | Image by VMALL
As you can guess, the high pricing of Ultra phones is probably one of the main reasons most people wouldn't care if they vanished from the market tomorrow. For instance, the recently released Huawei Pura X Max comes at a whopping price of approximately $1,615 (direct conversion from CNY to USD).
Furthermore, these devices aren't globally available, which means they already have very limited availability. The higher price tag plus limited visibility makes such Ultra phones really much less popular among the consumers.
AI features and everyday improvements in mid-range phones
Another reason that I can think of is that today's mid-range phones offer great performance. The OnePlus 15R, for instance, checks all the boxes of an ideal smartphone.
In our review, we found that it has quite decent battery life, can easily handle resource-demanding applications, and takes decent photographs as well. This is what the majority of users seek these days. In case you want something better, plenty of options are available, like the OnePlus 15, iPhone 17, Pixel 10 Pro, Galaxy S26, and many more.
I believe very few users want camera quality like that of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, and even fewer know how to use such an incredible camera to its full potential. Furthermore, most Ultra models are sold on their AI features these days. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, for instance, has horizontal lock as one of its exclusive features, and it is powered by on-device AI.
All that said, it's always worth remembering that everything is happening because of the sudden increase in memory prices. I really hope that things recover quickly. Otherwise, I think actions like hitting the brakes on high-end Chinese phones could just be the start of something worse, like phones getting expensive without any real upgrades.
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Aman Kumar is a tech news writer with a long-standing passion for smartphones. Aman specializes in everything smartphones, from AI features like Pixel’s Camera Coach to understanding ideal hardware combinations. He loves breaking down complex features in a simple, clear way and hopes manufacturers bring back bold designs like the Nokia N-Gage. When he’s not writing, he’s either gaming on PUBG or talking fitness as a dedicated gym enthusiast.
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