The Xiaomi 17: A Compact Flagship Worth Considering
The Xiaomi 17 is a compact flagship smartphone that delivers top-tier performance, a capable Leica camera system, feature-rich software experience, a sharp and colorful display, and an outlandishly large battery. With a sleek design and impressive specifications, the Xiaomi 17 stands out as a compelling option in the competitive smartphone market.
Design & Build:
The Xiaomi 17 boasts an elegant design with a flat-backed and flat-sided form, reminiscent of Apple’s recent iPhones. The phone is easy to handle and manipulate with its compact dimensions and lightweight build. The device comes in Black, Ice Blue, Alpine Pink, and Venture Green color options, showcasing Xiaomi’s attention to detail in design.
The phone features an IP68-certified body with Xiaomi Guardian Structure and Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0 for enhanced durability against dust and water ingress. The razor-thin bezels surrounding the 6.3-inch 1.5K 120Hz LTPO AMOLED display offer an immersive viewing experience.
Screen & Speakers:
The Xiaomi 17’s display is sharp and vibrant, with a high pixel density and dynamic refresh rate. The panel supports HDR content and boasts a peak brightness of 3500 nits. The phone’s Dolby Atmos stereo speakers deliver a big sound experience without distortion, although the bass output is more prominent from the down-firing speaker.
The phone’s ultrasonic fingerprint sensor provides fast and reliable unlocking, while the display offers excellent touch responsiveness. The Xiaomi 17’s audio performance is impressive, providing a balanced and loud sound output.
Specs & Performance:
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, the Xiaomi 17 offers top-notch performance with improved CPU, GPU, and AI capabilities. The phone’s 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM ensures smooth multitasking, while the up to 512GB of storage provides ample space for apps, games, and media.
The phone’s gaming performance is exceptional, thanks to the Game Turbo settings and efficient cooling system. The Xiaomi 17 supports extensive connectivity options, including WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6, and USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds.
Cameras:
The Xiaomi 17 features a quad-camera setup with all sensors clocking in at 50MP, offering high-resolution and detailed shots. The Leica-tuned cameras deliver excellent stills, especially in natural light. The phone’s telephoto zoom capabilities are limited, but the floating lens design provides a unique macro shooting experience.
The phone’s portrait mode offers accurate edge detection and natural bokeh effects, while the front camera produces weaker color reproduction compared to the rear cameras. The Xiaomi 17’s camera system excels in capturing detailed and vibrant images.
Battery Life & Charging:
The Xiaomi 17 is equipped with a 6330mAh Xiaomi Surge Battery, providing long-lasting battery life. The phone supports 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 22.5W reverse wireless charging. The phone’s battery capacity and charging speeds ensure convenient and reliable power management.
The phone’s battery performance is impressive, offering better longevity on a single charge compared to its predecessor. The use of silicon-carbon battery technology enhances the battery’s capacity and efficiency, making it a standout feature of the Xiaomi 17.
Software & AI:
The Xiaomi 17 runs on HyperOS 3 atop Android 16, offering a clean and customizable software experience. The software includes useful features like HyperIsland for notifications and wireless file sharing with iPhone and Mac. The phone’s AI tools provide enhancements in tone adjustment, document summarization, and image manipulation.
The Xiaomi 17 promises five years of OS updates and six years of security updates, ensuring long-term software support for users. The phone’s integration of Google Gemini Live with Camera Share and Xiaomi’s AI features adds value to the overall user experience.
Price & Availability:
The Xiaomi 17 is competitively priced, starting at £899 for the base model and £999 for the 512GB variant. Despite the delayed international rollout, the phone offers a compelling flagship experience at a reasonable price point. Xiaomi includes three months of Google Gemini 2TB plan with the purchase of the Xiaomi 17.
Conclusion:
The Xiaomi 17 is a standout compact flagship smartphone that excels in performance, camera capabilities, battery life, and software experience. With its sleek design, vibrant display, powerful hardware, and thoughtful features, the Xiaomi 17 is a worthy contender in the flagship smartphone market. If you’re looking for a compact and feature-rich smartphone, the Xiaomi 17 is definitely worth considering.
