Xiaomi 17 - Review - A small but mighty powerhouse

It is time to start the review of the Xiaomi 17 and to assess whether this is a phone that you should pay attention to for your next potential upgrade. I do need to make you aware though before we get into this review that the Xiaomi 17 is a China-only release as it seems that Xiaomi doesn’t have any intention of releasing this device to the global market as that space has been filled by the Xiaomi 15 and 15T series, which are more widely available. 

With that out of the way, let’s dive into the review with the normal first step being the unboxing video. I have included the video link below and I would encourage you to view this before you go any further.

Design

The Xiaomi 17 is a discrete slab form factor that bears a lot of similarity to a familiar design language. This language has been adopted recently by a lot of Android OEMS. It is a near direct copy of the iPhone 17 Pro series. There has been a lot of talk about the similarities of the Xiaomi 17 series to the iPhone 17 Pro devices, and this cannot be ignored; however, there are some more significant differences which we will now look into further. 

Starting from the top edge of the phone, we find the phone features two antenna break lines, and that is all, no pinhole mics or anything else.

Continuing to the right-hand edge, we have got a volume rocker,  and then slightly below this is the power button, which also pulls double duty as the sleep/wake button and an AI trigger button, more on that later though. Flanking the buttons group, there are two more antenna break lines.

Moving around to the bottom of the phone, we can see there is a loudspeaker grill, next to the USB Type-C 3.2 port, which will support fast charging and display output. Just to the left of the USB Type-C port is a small microphone hole, and then next to that is the dual nano SIM card slot, which features a rubber grommet for help with the phone’s IP rating of IP68.

On the left-hand side, there are two more antenna break lines and nothing else, leaving a smooth matte finish that is echoed across the rest of the phone’s design.

Now that we have gone around the edges, let's check out the rear of the phone. The rear panel is a toughened matte glass panel, which is colour-matched to the metal frame and is quite smooth to the touch and has just enough texture to allow for an easy grip without encouraging too many fingerprints to show up when it is held in the hand. Underneath the matte glass panel is where we will find the Qi charging coil, which will allow fast wireless charging at a rate of 50W with reverse charging at 20W, which is faster than some devices will accept incoming charge! We also find the NFC detection point under this panel in the top right-hand corner.

In the top left-hand corner, the rear panel is dominated by the camera module, which features the triple camera setup. This module encloses the lens for the main camera, which contains a 50MP wide-angle sensor, a 50MP telephoto sensor with 2.6x optical zoom and OIS, a 50MP ultrawide lens, and then finally, in the fourth circle, a Dual LED  Dual Tone flash module. The camera is, of course, also assisted with Laser Auto Focus and Colour Spectrum sensors. All the cameras feature Leica lenses as a result of the partnership with Leica that is present across the whole Xiaomi 17 line-up.

With the rear of the phone now covered, it is time to take a closer look at the front. This is where we can find the 6.3” LPTO AMOLED display panel, which has a refresh rate of 120Hz and a max brightness of 3500 nits in certain scenarios like viewing HDR content, which it can do using HDR10+ settings. The whole screen is a flat Xiaomi Dragon Crystal glass panel, which is Xiaomi's equivalent to Gorilla Glass Victus 2 but is supposed to be more scratch-resistant than the latter. Out of the box, the screen also comes with a fitted plastic screen protector. As this review unit was a return to the Average Dad Tech Store, there are few blemishes on the screen protector, but this is normal for these sacrificial plastic coverings.

Above the main section of the display panel, we can find that there is a very slim earpiece slit which houses the earpiece speaker, which will also double as the secondary loudspeaker during media playback to give a faux stereo experience.Below this earpiece, in a circular camera cutout, is the 50MP wide-angle selfie camera, which is also assisted by Phase Detection Auto Focus. This can also be used for an unlock method by facial recognition, but it is not as secure as that found on iPhone devices as it does not include 3D scanning. I would still strongly recommend using the excellent under-screen ultrasonic fingerprint reader. I have found that this is fast and accurate, but it is placed higher on the screen than I would have liked if I am being completely honest!

That pretty much covers the design. I just need to quickly cover off the dimensions of the phone, which are:

Dimensions: 151.1 x 71.8 x 8.1 mm

Weight: 191 g

The phone does feel slightly more dense than the weight suggests, and we will investigate as to why that is shortly, but before we do that, I need to include the Specs list below.

Specs

Category	Feature	Specification
Network	Technology	GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
	2G Bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Bands	HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
	4G Bands	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66
	5G Bands	1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 18, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 80, 81, 83, 84, 89 SA/NSA
Launch	Announced	September 25, 2025
	Status	Available (Released September 27, 2025)
Body	Dimensions	151.1 x 71.8 x 8.1 mm (5.95 x 2.83 x 0.32 in)
	Weight	191 g (6.74 oz)
	Build	Glass front (Dragon Crystal Glass), Aluminium frame
	SIM	Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
	Protection	IP68 dust tight and water resistant (1.5m for 30 min)
Display	Type	LTPO AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 3500 nits (peak)
	Size	6.3 inches, 97.1 cm² (~89.5% screen-to-body ratio)
	Resolution	1220 x 2656 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~464 ppi density)
	Protection	Xiaomi Dragon Crystal Glass
Platform	OS	Android 16, HyperOS 3
	Chipset	Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm)
	CPU	Octa-core (2x4.6 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M)
	GPU	Adreno 840
Memory	Internal Storage	256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.1)
	RAM	12GB / 16GB
Main Camera	Triple Setup	Wide: 50 MP, f/1.7, 23mm, 1/1.31”, 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS Telephoto: 50 MP, f/2.0, 60mm, 1/2.76”, 0.64µm, PDAF, OIS, 2.6x optical zoom Ultrawide: 50 MP, f/2.4, 17mm, 102°, 1/2.76”, 0.64µm
	Features	Leica lens, Laser AF, colour spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama
	Video	8K@30fps (HDR), 4K@30/60fps (HDR10+, Dolby Vision), 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps
Selfie Camera	Single	50 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (wide), PDAF
	Video	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS
Sound	Loudspeaker	Yes, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos
	3.5mm Jack	No
	Audio Quality	24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res & Hi-Res wireless audio, Snapdragon Sound
Comms	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
	Bluetooth	5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC 5
	Positioning	GPS (L1+L5), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5), GLONASS
	NFC	Yes
	Infrared Port	Yes
	USB	USB Type-C 3.2, Display Port, OTG
Features	Sensors	Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass, barometer
Battery	Type	Si/C Li-Ion 7000 mAh
	Charging	100W wired (PD3.0, QC3+, 100W PPS) 50W wireless 22.5W reverse wireless
Misc	Colors	Black, Blue, Pink, White

 

Hardware

The Xiaomi 17 features a few key areas that make this phone, in my opinion, a true flagship despite it not having the much vaunted “Pro” or “Ultra” moniker that people now associate with flagship phones.

These key areas that I want to focus on are as follows: Battery, Processor, and Cooling. In addition to these areas, there are a lot of other very cool things going on with the Xiaomi 17, but we will get to them later in the review. So, let’s have a look at the battery and, by proxy, the charging and associated tech.

The device packs an immense 7,000 mAh Silicon-Carbon battery. This new-generation, high-density cell technology allows Xiaomi to squeeze a colossal power source into the slim chassis. This results in epic, two-day battery life under typical usage conditions. Its longevity is genuinely class-leading, effectively surpassing the endurance of many physically larger and bulkier "Ultra" class competitors that rely on conventional battery chemistries.

A powerful 100W wired charging system can fully replenish the colossal 7,000 mAh battery in approximately 40 minutes. Crucially, Xiaomi has addressed a long-standing user pain point by ensuring the device is compatible with the universal PPS (Programmable Power Supply) standard. This means users can achieve top-tier fast-charging speeds even when using a third-party, high-wattage laptop charger, vastly improving convenience and reducing reliance on proprietary bricks. 

The device supports fast 50W wireless charging, offering a near-wired experience without the clutter of cables. Furthermore, it boasts an impressive 22.5W reverse wireless charging capability. This feature effectively transforms the phone into a high-speed portable power bank, perfect for quickly charging accessories like wireless earbuds or lending a significant charge to a friend's phone in an emergency.

Next up is the processor.

The heart of the Xiaomi 17's exceptional performance is the state-of-the-art Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. Built on TSMC’s most advanced 3nm manufacturing process, this chipset represents a significant generational leap in mobile computing power and efficiency.

The processor features Qualcomm’s custom Oryon CPU cores, with the primary core clocking up to a staggering 4.6GHz. This high-performance architecture ensures that the device delivers the processing capability typically found only in the largest "Ultra" class handsets, all contained within the ergonomic 6.3-inch body. This allows for instant app loading, seamless multitasking, and desktop-level performance. Paired with the all-new Adreno 840 GPU, the Xiaomi 17 redefines mobile gaming. It introduces hardware-accelerated features previously confined to dedicated gaming consoles and PCs, including realistic ray tracing for lighting and reflections, and full, optimised support for Unreal Engine 5. This combination ensures demanding, graphically intensive titles can be played smoothly at high frame rates and maximum graphical settings. 

The true intellectual advantage lies in the processor's remarkable power efficiency and sophisticated on-device intelligence. The upgraded Hexagon NPU (Neural Processing Unit) powers what Xiaomi calls "Agentic AI" capabilities. This enables complex, resource-intensive tasks—such as real-time language translation, advanced video stabilisation, and AI-enhanced computational photography—to be processed instantaneously and directly on the device. This local processing significantly enhances user privacy and execution speed. Critically, this efficiency works in perfect synergy with the 7,000 mAh battery, mitigating the thermal and physical heating constraints often associated with cramming high-power components into smaller phones, ensuring the device maintains peak performance and easily lasts well into a second day even under the stress of heavy, sustained use.

Now onto how the phone is kept cool.

The Xiaomi 17 is a small phone, yet it effectively manages the high thermal output of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, thanks to its specialised Stereoscopic Annular Cold Pump. This advanced cooling system surpasses traditional vapour chambers. It employs an ingenious "Tesla valve" mechanism to establish a highly efficient, one-way loop that maintains separation between the hot vapour and cool liquid. Essentially, it can dissipate heat at a rate approximately three times faster than conventional methods. The result is sustained peak performance for demanding tasks like high-frame-rate gaming, preventing thermal throttling in a compact device.

It's totally normal for the phone's outside to get warm; that's just it doing its job, pulling heat away from the processor inside. So, if you notice the device warming up quite a bit when you're gaming hard or using that super-fast 100W charger, don't worry—that's a good thing! This excellent heat transfer is actually key to keeping the internal parts from getting dangerously hot. The payoff is a battery that stays healthy and consistent, high-speed performance without the phone slowing itself down.

During my use of the Xiaomi 17, I found that even while watching media or engaging in light gaming, the phone never became excessively warm. Considering that "Asphalt Unite" is not a demanding title, this is perhaps unsurprising in terms of performance load.

The only significant heat build-up I experienced was when using the device with the wireless charger in my van. In this specific scenario, a slight temperature increase is normal for most devices, as the lack of ventilation means the heat has nowhere to dissipate. Crucially, the phone has not once given me an overheating warning, unlike other devices I have used with the same charger.

Now that we have got those key three areas covered, there are a few other things I want to mention about the hardware. These are a mix of good and bad, so I will get the bad out of the way first.

Over the last several years, I have mainly become used to using either large CandyBar-style or Fold-style phones. As such, I have become quite accustomed to having a wider display that comes with that style of phone. In the case of the Xiaomi 17, I found that the screen was a touch too narrow for my liking. Her eit is against a Oppo Find X9 Pro (on the right).This, in turn, led to issues when I was typing text into the keyboard, as my muscle memory for the locations of the letters and the spacebar was thrown off. Due to this, I found that I was encountering a significant amount of typos and messed-up text messages. I also found it tricky to get a comfortable grip on the phone, and I don’t have large hands by any metric, so this is probably just due to my previous preference for the bigger phones. It was a refreshing moment when I went back to using a wider phone, if I am being entirely honest. Don't get me wrong, if you are used to smaller phones, then this will be fine, but if you have been using a 6.5” plus phone, then this might take some work to get used to. 

My next grumble was about the location of the in-screen fingerprint reader. I found that it was far too high on the phone’s screen, which for me was causing issues when it came to unlocking the phone. I am again used to the fingerprint reader being in the lower quarter of the phone, within about an inch of the bottom edge of the device, as is the case on my work Samsung. On the Xiaomi 17, I found that the sensor was about an inch and a half from the base of the phone, meaning that I would have to reach up further than normal to activate it. Again, not a ground-breaking issue but an annoyance nonetheless.

The rest of the hardware is solid; the buttons for volume and power are solid and have good positive clicks to them, ensuring that you know you have pressed them. They also fall nicely under the thumb if you are a right-handed user. Lefties may have issues, but this I believe will be true with most phones on the market; at least that is the impression I get from looking at the multiple devices in front of me right now.

The signal quality was about what I expect from any phones where I live when being used on the Tesco MVNO in the UK. My signal would drop where I expected it to and would pick up accordingly as well.

The speaker volume on calls when using the earpiece was fine and I could hear the other party on the call with no real issues. When on speaker phone I was able to hear the other caller over the background noise of my van which was great. I was also able to hear my audiobooks while driving as well which was very useful during my testing period as I have been on the road a lot recently. 

I did have some issues with it maintaining a Bluetooth connection with my van’s infotainment system but this has been true of some of my other phones so I am chalking this up to the infotainment system being the issue, not the Xiaomi 17. I was also able to pair it seamlessly with my Pixel Buds Pro 2 with no issues. Unfortunately being that this is a Chinese ROM device I was unable to pair it with either my Pixel Watch 3 45mm or my recently added Galaxy Watch Ultra, so if you want a smartwatch then you will need to look outside of the Android Wear lineup at things like Xiaomi’s own watch line-up or Garmin for example.

Apart from some other software-related things I can't really find much else that I could find fault with on the Xiaomi 17 from a hardware perspective. It is a great little compact powerhouse that is potentially overlooked by the lack of the previously mentioned monikers. The small form factor and relatively light weight  mean that this is a great phone to carry around and if you have been looking for smaller hardware which packs a punch then this could be worth having a look.

With the hardware out of the way we now need to have a look at the software so let’s pull back the curtain and see what we have got going on.

Software

Before we start, I need to cover this one thing off: the Xiaomi 17 that I have for review is the Chinese ROM version of this phone, and as such, has a lot of differences to any Global Xiaomi ROM you will have seen or used in the past, even when compared to the Xiaomi 15 series. So what does a Chinese ROM mean for the Xiaomi 17?

Well, first up, the phone by default does not have Google Mobile Services enabled out of the box, but this is very easy to overcome by following a few steps to reactivate them. I will include a video explaining this process so you can watch along while setting the device up. In addition to the lack of GMS, the phone will not work with Android Auto even if you were to download and install the APK. Android Auto is a big one for me as I do use it a lot, with 70% of my day job involving driving.

The next issue I have already mentioned is that you cannot use any watch that runs the Wear OS operating system; this means that you would need to consider your smartwatch selection carefully if you were to use this phone. I have used a previous Xiaomi Chinese ROM with a Garmin smartwatch successfully, so that is a viable option, but others are available too.

Last one, and this may not be an issue for you as it wasn't for me, is that Google Wallet will not allow you to add your debit/credit card to it. You can, of course, use the Curve App in the UK and Europe (not sure about the US), but as I very rarely use contactless payment via my phone, this is not a big issue for me, but it might be for someone who does use this system.

Now that we have those bits out of the way, what is the software on the Xiaomi 17 like? Well, for the most part, Hyper OS is good, and I was easily able to get into all the bits I needed to set the phone up and use it. I like that the Hyper OS skin on top of Android 16 allows you to tweak the display settings more than the standard 4x6 icons to 4x7 and 5x9. I would have liked a 5x7 option though, as the icons are now very small, but I do kinda like it that way.

The widgets are not as good though, as for some reason the padding around the widgets is too much, so this stops you from using the widget how I would like them. I also had an issue with the contact widget on my home screen, where at least once a day it asked me to enter my contact, which was strange and not something I have seen before on other devices.

The App drawer includes a search bar at the bottom, which is great, but again not something I would ever use, and it cannot be turned off, which can be visually upsetting, but I quickly learned to ignore it. You also have the option to categorise apps within the App drawer, which can be useful. I will admit though, I turned this off as I prefer the old-fashioned App drawer.

This turning off things and setting other options to work in a more traditional Pixel-esque way is an overarching theme for all my software reviews. I am a bit stuck in the mindset of what I perceive an Android launcher to be, and the extra stuff being shoehorned into Android UI Skins does irritate me, but I will continue now by looking at some of the other software elements.

Of course, with this being a phone released in 2025, AI is ever-present, but I found that I was not really using it very much as it is set up to use Xiaomi’s native Chinese AI, which is only available in Chinese. This means that a long press on the power button and the bottom of the screen will load up Xio Ai, which will only provide you with results in Chinese. I am not aware of a way to remap these actions to Gemini, and I’ll be honest, I haven't tried to find out if it is even possible.

The good news is that you can, of course, install Gemini as an app, and by doing this, you can access all the Gemini services that you want to use, but you have to use it via the widget or the app. You can also, of course, install any app from the Google Play Store once you have enabled GMS, as stated above, and I have not come across one that didn’t work for me, apart from potentially the banking apps (as this is a review device, I have not set up my personal banking apps on the device). One of the first things I had to do was install Gboard, as the built-in keyboard was not user-friendly. Once I had done that and got my apps to come onto the phone using the Xiaomi Transfer app, I was set to get started. The only other thing I needed to do was to get all the Chinese language apps removed, which was easily done and quite quick to do.

So how does Hyper OS do in day-to-day use? I would say for the most part, once the above steps had been completed, it worked very well, but there are issues to be aware of. I found that my notifications were delayed on the phone, especially ones from some of my social media apps.  A feature that I have become quite used to using on other Global software phones was not possible in the Gmail app via Gboard. 

On my Pixel and on the Honor devices I have used recently, I have had Gmail ask me if I want help to write the email or proofread my email. Now on the Pixel, this is a feature, and I believe it is currently Pixel only, but on other phones such as the Honor or Vivo’s of this year, I have also seen that they would offer their own AI system to assist with that task. On the Xiaomi 17, nothing, not a jot. This may or may not be a Hyper OS thing or it might be a Chinese ROM thing, but it is a thing, and I wanted to make you aware of it.

So in summary, the Hyper OS software is usable day-to-day, but for me, it sits well behind that of other OS skins and far behind the likes of Pixel UI and Colour/Oxygen OS, which are my current favourite OS’s. That being said, I have only ever used these aforementioned OS's in their global flavours, so I am not sure what my thoughts would be if I were to use the Chinese versions.

I have included some screenshots of the UI below for you to check out and see what things look like.

Now onto the last big element that makes the Xiaomi special: the camera.

Camera

The Xiaomi 17 boasts a top-notch, Leica-designed triple-camera system on the back, with each lens sporting a 50-megapixel sensor. This setup can shoot amazing 8K video at a smooth 30 frames per second.

The main camera is a 50MP wide-angle lens with a bright f/1.7 aperture and Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), all housed in a big 1/1.31-inch sensor for fantastic low-light shots.

To give you lots of options, the system also has a 50MP telephoto camera that lets you zoom in 2.6x (like a 60mm lens). This telephoto lens also has an f/2.0 aperture, OIS, and can get super close, up to 10cm for macro shots.

Rounding out the back is a 50MP ultra-wide camera, which gives you a 102-degree view with an f/2.4 aperture.

For clear selfies and video calls, the phone has a 50MP wide-angle front camera, with an f/2.2 aperture and Phase Detection Auto-Focus (PDAF).

The Xiaomi 17's camera is quite effective, producing reasonably good photos, provided you are realistic about the zoom capabilities—a common caveat for cameras with less than 5x optical telephoto.

To test the camera, I took some photos on a recent trip to London, focusing on the area around Tower Bridge, and captured the images you see below.

I also conducted zoom testing to demonstrate the telephoto lens's performance, with the results provided below.

For video, I recorded a short clip of my cat which is also available for viewing below.

The selfie camera performs well. However, in line with many Chinese devices, it defaults to a 'beauty mode.' It also offers a range of bokeh presets, and I've included two examples: one with the bokeh effect on and one with it turned off.

Bokeh Off

Bokeh On

Post-capture editing options are available. For portrait shots, like the examples above, you can adjust the aperture after taking the photo to fine-tune the bokeh effect to your liking.

The Xiaomi Gallery app also includes a suite of other editing tools. This includes an Ultra HD mode, which enhances photos based on ambient light, and an 'AI Beautify' feature that adjusts settings like exposure, brightness, and contrast to improve the subject's appearance.

While these tools are available, the editing options within the Xiaomi Gallery pale in comparison to what Google Photos offers. Given its availability, I recommend using Google Photos instead. Be aware that this is the stock Google Photos experience, not the enhanced version found on Pixel devices, so there may be some limitations. Nevertheless, it covers all the essential editing functions, and I was satisfied using it over the Xiaomi native option.

Conclusion

I approached this review with some apprehension. This phone had largely flown under my radar as a China-only release, and I had my own reservations about how well it would suit me.  Plus, its small size was a bit of a concern. However, I’m delighted to say I was pleasantly surprised.

The hardware is impressive, even if it’s a bit small for my liking.  While it’s smaller than its Pro and Pro Max siblings, it doesn’t lack power. The amazing battery life and hidden power in its subtle curved shell make it a bit of a sleeper phone, which could lead to it being overlooked.  The camera performance isn’t top-notch, but it’s more than enough for casual photographers and everyday snaps.

The main consideration is the software. If you want seamless integration with all your Google apps and services, this might not be the best choice. It currently runs a Chinese ROM, and you might need to tweak things to get them working. Some enjoy that, but most want a phone that works out of the box with their existing services.

However, given that the Xiaomi 17 probably won’t be available in our Western markets as a full Global version and considering the price, some of these Google Mobile service issues might be worth it.

If you can accept a Chinese ROM device and want a phone with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and a 7000mAh battery that’s small and compact, this is currently your only option.

You can currently buy the Xiaomi 17 for around £500, but it’s only available as an import. If you’re interested, contact the team at the Average Dad Tech Store, and they’ll source one for you.