Xiaomi is among the first brands to announce its flagship phones that run on the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.
The successor to last year’s Xiaomi 15, Xiaomi has skipped ahead to reveal the Xiaomi 17 alongside the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max, which likely take inspiration from the latest iPhone 17 line-up.
Ahead of our review, we’ve compared the specs of the Xiaomi 17 to the Xiaomi 15 and highlighted the key differences below. Keep reading to determine whether it’s worth upgrading and if the Xiaomi 17 has a chance at making it into our best Androids phone list.
Price and Availability
At the time of writing, the Xiaomi 17 and the rest of the 17 series are only available to buy in China. While Xiaomi has yet to confirm when the phone will launch globally, based on past series launches, we can expect the phone to land in the UK by around February 2026.
While the Xiaomi 17’s current price starts at 4499 yuan, which roughly equates to £470, considering the Xiaomi 15 has a starting RRP of £899, we expect the phone to cost a bit more than its yuan price would suggest.
Xiaomi 17 runs on the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip
The Xiaomi 17 is among the first to feature Qualcomm’s latest flagship mobile chip, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. While we’re yet to review the processor ourselves, Qualcomm claims users can expect up to 20% CPU increase, 35% better efficiency and a 37% boost to on-device AI.
Instead, powering the Xiaomi 15 is the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which was behind most of the best Android phones of 2025. During our time with the Xiaomi 15, we found using the handset felt smooth and effortless, with games “fast to launch” and play too.
For more on how the two processors compare, we’ve put together a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite guide. In the meantime, we’ll have to wait until we review the Xiaomi 17 and see how the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performs compared to its predecessor.
Xiaomi 17 has a 7000mAh capacity battery
One of the biggest upgrades found with the Xiaomi 17 is its battery capacity. While the Xiaomi 15 was no slouch, sporting a 5,240mAh capacity, which we found could easily see us through days with 50% in the tank, the Xiaomi 17 boasts a welcome improvement.
In fact, the Xiaomi 17 sports a 7000mAh Surge Battery, which Xiaomi promises should provide extended battery lifespan, “excellent low-temperature endurance,” and an “ultra-high energy density 894Wh/L.” With such a mighty battery capacity, we have high hopes for the Xiaomi 17’s prowess, but we’ll have to wait and see how it fares in real-world use.
Xiaomi 17 has a new portrait mode
Both the Xiaomi 17 and 15 handsets are equipped with three rear lenses, including a 50MP Light Fusion 900 main sensor and a 60mm telephoto lens. However, the Xiaomi 17 promises a handful of tweaks to its photography prowess.
Xiaomi promises the 17 delivers “clear and vivid images across harsh lighting conditions” which is a similar experience to the Xiaomi 15 which we found provided “generally very good” images in almost all lighting conditions. Considering the Xiaomi 17’s camera is relatively unchanged, we would expect a similar experience with the handset.
Finally, Xiaomi has introduced the Master Portrait Mode within the Xiaomi 17, which promises professional-grade imaging with “natural skin tones and detailed hair rendering”. Having said that, the Xiaomi 15 also features a portrait mode which we determined to provide “good edge detection to blur the background”.
Xiaomi 17 supports 100W charging speeds
Following on from the battery capacity, the Xiaomi 17 benefits from a slightly faster charging speed compared to the Xiaomi 15. While the Xiaomi 15 supports up to 90W, which resulted in a 41% charge in just 15 minutes, the Xiaomi 17 supports up to 100W instead.
Otherwise, both the Xiaomi 17 and 15 support 50W wireless charging speeds as well, although a compatible charger will be required to experience the benefits.
Xiaomi 17 has thinner bezels
Overall, we were impressed with the design of the Xiaomi 15, and found its 6.36-inch AMOLED display looked impressive in daily use, which was especially aided by the 1.38mm thin bezels around the edges.
The Xiaomi 17, on the other hand, benefits from even thinner bezels at 1.18mm thanks to its adoption of LIPO display packaging technology. Otherwise, the Xiaomi 17 sports a 6.3-inch display with rounded corners, which is promised to provide a smoother and more refined feel in the hand.
Early Verdict
With a mighty battery capacity, thinner bezels and powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the Xiaomi 17 is undoubtedly an exciting Android phone.
However, as we’re both yet to review the phone and it’s not available in the UK just yet, the four-star Xiaomi 15 remains a brilliant alternative.
