3 Oct 2025
Xiaomi recently hosted two significant launch events, introducing its new Xiaomi 17 and 15T series smartphones, engineered to directly compete with high-end devices from Apple and Samsung. These releases highlight a strategic focus on advanced features, powerful performance, and aggressive pricing, aiming to capture a larger share of the global smartphone market.
The Xiaomi 17 series comprises three models: the 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max. Xiaomi deliberately skipped the '16' in its nomenclature to align with the 'iPhone 17,' aiming for direct market competition and enhanced search engine optimization, which helps save millions in marketing expenses by appearing in searches for rival products.
While the standard Xiaomi 17 has a conventional design, the Pro and Pro Max models feature a notable secondary display on the rear, similar to the Z Flip 7. This rear display enables high-quality selfies using the main camera, can show iPhone-style notifications, and transforms into a classic gaming console with an Atari-style accessory. All Xiaomi 17 models are equipped with LTPO AMOLED displays, offering a variable refresh rate from 1 to 120Hz, 1200p resolution, and Dragon Crystal protection, which includes 2160Hz PWM dimming for reduced eye strain, 68 billion colors, HDR10+, and a peak brightness of 3500 nits (the Pro model offers 3000 nits).
The Xiaomi 17 series is powered by the cutting-edge 4nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, featuring Orion and V3 cores clocked up to 4.6GHz, along with an Adreno 840 GPU, delivering a 20% improvement in CPU, 25% in GPU, and a 37% more efficient NPU for AI processing, achieving an AnTuTu score of 1.7 million. These devices run on Android 16 with HyperOS 3, which incorporates iOS-inspired elements such as 'Hyper Island' (similar to Dynamic Island) and an iOS-like control center and menus.
In collaboration with Leica, the Xiaomi 17 series integrates a triple 50MP main camera system complemented by a 50MP selfie camera. The standard Xiaomi 17 features a telephoto lens with 2.16x optical zoom, whereas the Pro and Pro Max variants boast a periscope telephoto lens capable of 5x lossless optical zoom. The battery technology utilizes silicon-carbon for higher energy density, resulting in capacities of 5700 mAh for the 17, 6300 mAh for the Pro, and a substantial 7500 mAh for the Pro Max, all supported by a 100W charger included in the box.
Initially launched in China, the Xiaomi 17 series carries competitive pricing: the base Xiaomi 17 starts at $630, the 17 Pro at $700, and the 17 Pro Max at $840. These price points are designed to challenge established flagship models from rivals.
The Xiaomi 15T and 15T Pro models feature a more refined and premium design compared to their predecessors. While the 15T's rear panel is described as plastic despite claims of fiberglass, both phones utilize a 6.83-inch AMOLED display with 'Crystal Res' resolution and a peak brightness of 3200 nits, though the refresh rate for the 15T has been downgraded from 144Hz to 120Hz.
The Xiaomi 15T is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8400 chipset, recognized as the strongest mid-range processor suitable for demanding gaming. The 15T Pro features the previous-generation flagship MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset, placing both models in a strong position for hardware performance. All versions come with 12GB of RAM, launch with HyperOS 2 on Android 15 (with a subsequent update to HyperOS 3), and are guaranteed 4 years of software support (up to Android 19) and 6 years of security updates.
Both 15T models feature a Leica-tuned triple camera setup on the rear, including two 50MP sensors for wide and telephoto shots, plus a 12MP ultrawide lens. The standard 15T offers 2x optical zoom, while the 15T Pro boasts a periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and claims up to 10x improved lossless zoom, potentially surpassing the 17 Pro Max's zoom range. A 32MP selfie camera is also included. The 5500 mAh battery demonstrates robust performance, maintaining 80% health after 1600 charge cycles, as per EU tests.
The Xiaomi 15T series is competitively priced in Europe, with the 15T model starting at €649 and the 15T Pro at €799, positioning them as attractive options in their respective segments.
Xiaomi, as the world's third-largest smartphone producer, strategically leverages product naming and feature alignment to directly compete with rivals like Apple, significantly boosting search visibility and achieving substantial marketing cost savings.
| model | key_innovation | chipset | display_specs | battery_capacity | main_camera_zoom | starting_price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi 17 | Competitive pricing, powerful specs | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | LTPO AMOLED, 1-120Hz, 1200p, 3500 nits | 5700 mAh | 2.16x optical telephoto | $630 (China) |
| Xiaomi 17 Pro / Pro Max | Rear secondary display, Atari-style gaming accessory | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | LTPO AMOLED, 1-120Hz, 1200p, 3500 nits | 6300 mAh / 7500 mAh | 5x lossless optical periscope telephoto | $700 / $840 (China) |
| Xiaomi 15T | Powerful mid-range performance, refined design | Dimensity 8400 MediaTek | 6.83-inch AMOLED, 120Hz, 3200 nits | 5500 mAh | 2x optical telephoto | €649 (Europe) |
| Xiaomi 15T Pro | Flagship-grade performance, enhanced periscope zoom | Dimensity 9400+ MediaTek | 6.83-inch AMOLED, 120Hz, 3200 nits | 5500 mAh | 5x optical periscope telephoto (10x lossless) | €799 (Europe) |
