Xiaomi 17 series: Everything we know so far

Design

The Xiaomi 17 series could maintain the sleek and premium design of its predecessors, featuring ultra-thin bezels and quad-curved edges.

The introduction of a periscope telephoto camera on the standard Xiaomi 17 is a notable rumour, potentially elevating its design to compete with flagship rivals like the Vivo X200 and Oppo Find X8.

The render below shows a possible two-tone design for the Xiaomi 17, but we’ll take this with a pinch of salt. It could also be just one of many finishes that Xiaomi offers, as it’s not like many rivals, where it’s simply colours that change.

The design looks like it could be a metal uni-body similar to the OnePlus Nord 4, but this would mean wireless charging isn’t possible, so that feels an unlikely move.

Majinbu Official

Materials such as Dragon Crystal Glass are expected to be durable, along with IP68 water and dust resistance. The Pro and Ultra models may offer unique finishes, including leather textures or metal frames for a premium look.

Whether we get all the colourways in the UK and Europe is another question. The options are typically more limited compared to China.

In a strange bit of marketing, Xiaomi President Lu Weibing put out a comparison video wherein he held the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max up to Apple’s competing (and similarly named) handset, the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The brief video does give us a look at the rear-facing display in action, wherein double-tapping the panel will wake it up. The first thing we see on the display is a clock, although it remains to be seen whether or not this is always the case by default, or if we have the option to choose which feature appears on the screen from the jump.

Both phones look very similar in width and height, which gives us a decent reference point for how the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max will feel in the hand.

Sources: Weibo | Maijinbu Official | GSMArena

Display

While the jury is still out on the other two phones, a recent Xiaomi 17 leak seems to all but confirm that a 6.3-inch LPTO OLED display is on the horizon, but what’s more impressive is that it’s reported to pack a 1.5K resolution.

This could be a huge win for anyone who likes to watch a bit of Netflix or Disney+ on their phone, as it’ll allow the handset to depict greater detail than before, allowing for a more eye-catching experience.

Another key upgrade is rumoured, as it might have the best PWM dimming (or related eye-preserving technology) in its size class. It could go above the 1920Hz PWM Dimming at low brightness feature of the Xiaomi 15, with the potential for 3200 nits of peak brightness as well.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

The Pro and Ultra variants may step up to a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display with a 1440p resolution and adaptive refresh rates for smoother performance.

One of the biggest rumours – the inclusion of a secondary display on the back of the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max – has now been confirmed. While it’s easy to imagine the usefulness of a secondary display when it comes to taking pictures, it’s clear that Xiaomi has a few plans for the concept beyond smartphone photography.

A new 14-second advertisement for the Xiaomi 17 Pro gives us a look at the second screen in action, as it’s used to interact with timers and incoming calls, as well as provide access to key information like flight times as well as the license plate of a taxi that’s been ordered.

As we expected, it seems as though Xiaomi is using the screen to operate in much the same way as outer displays on recent flip phones like the Galaxy Z Flip 7. Given how helpful those types of screens have become with offering quick access to key features without the risk of falling into a spot of doomscrolling, it’ll be nice to have similar functionality available on a traditional candy-bar phone.

Bear in mind that at the time of writing, the secondary display has only been confirmed for both the 17 Pro and the 17 Pro Max, so one has to imagine that the feature will not be making its way to the more entry-level Xiaomi 17.

Sources: Smart Pikachu | Smart Pikachu (2) | GSMArena | GizmoChina | Ice Universe

Performance

The Xiaomi 17 series is expected to debut the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset (not named the Elite 2 or Gen 2 as expected), which Qualcomm is set to unveil in September.

It has essentially been confirmed by way of comments from the Qualcomm CEO, stating that Xiaomi will be “the first OEM to launch with our next Snapdragon 8 Elite chip.” And then more recently by Xiaomi’s President on Weibo.

This powerful processor should deliver significant performance improvements, coupled with 12- or 16GB of RAM and UFS 4.0 storage options ranging from 256GB to 1TB.

There is, however, now a chance that the phone could launch with a different chipset entirely in China. With regards to Lei Jun’s aforementioned speech on 25th September, his Weibo post mentioned that the discussion would include Xiaomi cars and the much-rumoured Xiaomi Xuanjie chipset.

The Xuanjie processor is Xiaomi’s first-ever mobile CPU that’s been designed in-house, and if it’s anything like the Tensor chipsets found in Google handsets, or Apple’s unique A-series CPUs for iPhone, then this could lead to a significant boost in efficiency, helping all aspects of the phone from everyday performance to battery life.

Source: Weibo

Cameras

A standout rumour is the inclusion of periscope telephoto cameras across the entire Xiaomi 17 lineup. This would help it compete with the regular Pixel 10, which is set to get a telephoto for the first time.

The Xiaomi 17 is expected to feature a 50Mp triple-camera setup, including a main sensor, an ultrawide camera, and the newly added periscope telephoto lens. This represents a significant upgrade over its predecessor.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

The Pro version is said to benefit from Leica’s camera tuning expertise, with a 5x optical zoom capability and enhanced computational photography features. The Pro Max/Ultra model is expected to push the boundaries further with a 1-inch main sensor and a 200Mp periscope telephoto camera offering 4.3x magnification.

While it would seem a reasonable bet to predict the 16 Pro Max/Ultra will stick to four rear cameras, a leak now suggests the phone will drop one camera in order to focus on quality and not quantity.

Instead of two cameras for ultrawide and mid-range optical zoom, the company will reportedly opt for an “extremely capable third camera”, though the specs are currently unknown. An interesting leak suggests the Pro Max will come with a significant photography innovation – continuous optical zoom. It’s also thought that the telephoto camera will share the same CMOS sensor, which would result in smoother transitions between focal lengths.

The most recent camera leaks have all but confirmed the upcoming specs for the Xiaomi 17 Pro. The mid-way handset is expected to have a 50Mp f/1.67 main camera alongside a f/3.0, 115mm telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. The ultra-wide, on the other han,d will have a 17mm focal length, but there’s no word yet on the megapixel count.

One big surprise that we weren’t expecting was the return of Xiaomi’s secondary display, last seen on the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. Unlike how the concept was implemented several years back on the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, the display is now woven seamlessly into the camera bump, with the sensor being the only part that cuts into what we see on the screen. It’s not too similar to the external display of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7.

Having a secondary display that covers the width of the phone could end up being a game-changer, and it’s hard to imagine wanting to use the selfie camera ever again when you could simply turn the phone around and enjoy much higher-quality shots from these rear-facing sensors.

Based on initial rumours, it seemed as though the previous 32Mp selfie camera would be receiving a key update across all three phones, but that’s no longer the case. While the jury is still out on the 16 Pro and the 16 Pro Max, the latest information suggests that the Xiaomi 17 will stick with having a 32Mp front-facing camera, so if you do want a better selfie experience that can better match all of the upgrades Apple recently brought to the iPhone 17 range, you may want to opt for one of the pricier options in this range.

Xiaomi’s collaboration with Leica on imaging will continue, as confirmed by CEO Lei Jun, who said, “Xiaomi and Leica have been and will continue to be close partners. I am very confident that Xiaomi 16 Ultra will be a new height of mobile imaging, so stay tuned.”

Sources: Weibo (since deleted) | Weibo (2) | Smartprix | Digital Chat Station via Weibo | GSMArena

Battery & Charging

This is an area where the Xiaomi 17 could get a huge upgrade, compared to both its predecessor and rivals.

It seems the battery size will increase, though rumours suggest both 6800- and 7000mAh capacities. Just note that Chinese models often get a downsized battery for the global version.

The Xiaomi 15, for example, was 5400mAh in China but 5240mAh elsewhere.

Chris Martin / Foundry

This could still be in a “light and thin body”, suggesting Xiaomi will utilise silicon-carbon technology here. This would make it 75% larger than the Galaxy S25, which is a little mindblowing.

Charging is also set to improve with possible 100W wired charging, up from an already impressive 90W.

Various battery sizes are flying around, with one reliable leaker saying the 16 Ultra will be limited to 7000mAh, but there’s also talk of a 7500mAh cell, which then could be found inside the possible 16 Pro Max model.

Sources: Smart Pikachu | Digital Chat Station (2) | Wiebo

Software

The Xiaomi 17 series will likely run on HyperOS 3, based on Android 16. This software promises enhanced performance, seamless device integration, and AI-driven features.

What exactly it will feature remains to be seen, but Tech Advisor hopes it continues to get cleaned up, less cluttered and more intuitive.