Xiaomi is skipping the 16 series entirely and going straight to the Xiaomi 17 lineup, a move the company says is designed to position its phones directly against Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 range.
The series will include the Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, with a launch expected later this month in China
A bold naming strategy
Xiaomi president Lu Weibing has made it clear that the 17 series is meant to be the company’s most significant premium milestone yet. It follows years of investment in R&D as Xiaomi pushes further into the flagship tier, a segment where Apple and Samsung dominate.
This move comes as other brands like OnePlus and Samsung look to secure high-end buyers with their own bold design choices and performance upgrades.
What’s new with the Xiaomi 17 series?
Xiaomi has confirmed the lineup will debut Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, making it one of the first phones to ship with the chip. On top of that, leaks have suggested the phones could feature massive batteries: 7,000mAh on the Xiaomi 17 and up to 7,500mAh on the Pro Max. That’s a serious step up in capacity compared to rivals like the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max are also introducing the “Magic Back Screen,” a secondary display on the rear. A teaser video posted to Weibo highlights the display, and it looks bigger and more functional than the tiny panel on the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra.
It looks like the screen will let you check the time, notifications, and even frame selfies using the main cameras. Combined with a bold new rectangular camera island, it looks like Xiaomi wants these models to stand out just as much for their design as for their hardware.
Earlier flagships like the Xiaomi 13 Pro showed that the brand can deliver serious imaging power, so expectations for the 17 Pro’s camera system are already high.
Opinion
Xiaomi’s decision to jump straight to the 17 series is as much about perception as it is about performance. Taking on Apple in such an obvious way is an odd move, one that could backfire.
The hardware looks promising, though, with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and huge batteries. There are rear screens too, which will certainly standout.
Simply copying Apple’s naming strategy could actually take away from these phones rather than aid them.
