Xiaomi 17 series confirmed to rival Apple iPhone 17 series: What to expect

Following the iPhone 17 series launch, China's Xiaomi has confirmed to rival Apple with its 17 series smartphone models, which will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

Following the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset announcement, China’s Xiaomi has confirmed that its upcoming Xiaomi 17 series will be among the first to be powered by the chipset. In the Weibo post, Xiaomi’s president Lu Weibing confirmed that the series will debut with three models – Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. All three models will initially launch in China, and may reach other global markets either later this year or early next.

 

Interestingly, Weibing has positioned the Xiaomi 17 series as a direct competitor to the Apple iPhone 17 series, which was launched on September 9. While highlighting the performance of the Xiaomi 17 series, he wrote (translated from Chinese), “The Xiaomi 17 is the most powerful standard flagship ever, featuring a comprehensive upgrade without increasing price. The two Pro models offer significant advancements in core technology, continuing to push the boundaries of the ultra-high-end. The Xiaomi 17 Pro is Xiaomi's most sophisticated compact imaging flagship. The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is Xiaomi's most powerful flagship in the industry.” 

Xiaomi 17 series: What to expect

The company has officially confirmed on Weibo that the Xiaomi 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max will be equipped with a new “Magic Back Screen.” As per the video shared along with the post, the camera module will be big in size and will be rectangular-shaped, covering the entire width of the back panel similar to the iPhone 17 Pro models. However, Xiaomi seems to expand the module by using it as the secondary screen of the smartphones. 

 

The Xiaomi executive also disclosed that the regular Xiaomi 17 will bring a “comprehensive upgrade” compared to its predecessor, while maintaining the same price point. For reference, the Xiaomi 15 debuted in October 2024 and was priced at CNY 4,199 for the base model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. It was launched in India earlier this year in 12GB RAM + 512GB storage configuration at Rs 64,999.

 

Weibing further added that the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max are expected to introduce “significant advancements” in core industry technologies. Further information about the Xiaomi 17 series is expected to surface as the launch nears. 

 

The Xiaomi 17 lineup will be the successor to the Xiaomi 15 series. The company opted to skip the “16” branding as it plans to directly compete with Apple’s newly released iPhone 17 series, as suggested by Weibing’s post.  

iPhone 17 series: What do we know

The iPhone 17 series introduces four models – the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max – all featuring Super Retina XDR displays with ProMotion (1–120Hz) and 3000 nits peak brightness, along with IP68 dust and water resistance. The lineup runs on Apple’s A19 or A19 Pro chips and offers storage ranging from 256GB up to 2TB, with the latter exclusive to the Pro Max model. Across the series, Apple includes an 18MP Center Stage front camera, while rear camera setups vary: the standard iPhone 17 gets dual 48MP lenses, the Air gets a single 48MP lens, and the Pro and Pro Max get triple 48MP cameras.