Xiaomi announces 17 models
Eyebrows went up at the editorial department when we heard that not only will the Xiaomi 15T series be announced in Europe this week, but the Xiaomi 17 series was presented just a day later. Remarkable, since it is basically another new generation of smartphones. It should be noted, however, that the Xiaomi 17 series has now been presented for China. It will be a few more months before the European announcement is scheduled.
Earlier, we discussed that Xiaomi is taking a different path in terms of naming. It is walking the Apple path, choosing to skip the digit '16' to compete directly with Apple's 17 series, which recently announced the iPhone 17 series. The manufacturer equips all three devices with the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which we wrote about on Thursday.
The Xiaomi 17 series consists of three models: the 17, 17 Pro and as Apple also has; the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. The two Pro models offer an external screen, which sits at the back of the smartphone. Like several foldables with a cover screen, the screen wraps around the camera module. This makes it not a simple block, but offers added value. This is a 2.66-inch screen on both Pro models. You can use this display for personalised backgrounds, dynamic notifications and sticky notes. Via a special case, you can also play games. Of course, you can also control the music player, use timers, read notifications and more.
Xiaomi 17
We start with the Xiaomi 17, which is the 'entry-level' smartphone of the series and offers a 6.3-inch OLED display. There is 12GB/16GB RAM and 256GB/512GBV storage and four 50-megapixel camera. Three of these are on the back, one on the front. There is also a huge battery; 7000 mAh. This battery can be charged with 100W, or 50W wirelessly.
Xiaomi 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max
Xiaomi has announced two Pro models. We are introduced to the Xiaomi 17 Pro and the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is also immediately the largest. The manufacturer provides the 17 Pro with a 6.3-inch screen, where the Pro Max gets a 6.9-inch panel, equipped with a dynamic refresh rate of 1-120Hz. There are two 50MP cameras on the back, with a third 50MP camera located below the screen. There is also another 50-megapixel front camera. The rear camera setup offers a 5x optical zoom periscope camera, in addition, another lens is a wide-angle lens. Although this one only has a 102-degree field of view, which is not exactly very wide. At the back, there is also a new 3D ToF sensor.
The 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max both get IP68 certification. Here, the Pro model allows you to dive up to 4 metres deep in fresh water, while the Pro Max is 6 metres. On board the Xiaomi 17 Pro, we find a 6300 mAh battery. You have a choice of variants with 256GB, 512GB and 1TB memory. With the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, the battery capacity comes out even higher; that device packs a 7500 mAh battery. Thanks to a special battery management chip, the battery should still hold at least 80 per cent of its capacity even after 2,000 cycles. The battery supports 100W fast charging, 50W wireless charging and you can use it as a powerbank thanks to 22.5W reverse charging.
The specifications between the 17 Pro and Pro Max are pretty much all the same. The only difference is in the battery and screen, and of course the price. There is also a slight difference in the telephoto lens, which is slightly more light-sensitive on the Pro Max model (f/2.6 vs f/3.0).
Availability
As for pricing, we can only report Chinese amounts for now. Those start at 540 euros for the 17 converted, 601 euros for the 17 Pro and 721 euros for the Pro Max. Incidentally, this doesn't say much for the European market. When we will see the smartphones on the European market is not yet clear. For now, the focus is first on the Xiaomi 15T series, which was announced on Wednesday.
