Xiaomi Unveils Flagship 17 Series Aimed at Competing with iPhone

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has unveiled its new flagship 17-series smartphones in Beijing, positioning them as direct competitors to Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17. The lineup includes three models — the base Xiaomi 17, the enhanced 17 Pro, and the top-tier 17 Pro Max.

Company founder and CEO Lei Jun highlighted the sleek design and premium features of the new devices. He explained that skipping the 16-series was a deliberate move meant to emphasize Xiaomi’s ambitions in the high-end smartphone segment and put the brand head-to-head with Apple.

All three devices are the first smartphones worldwide to feature the newly launched Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, introduced just two days prior. They run on Xiaomi’s proprietary HyperOS 3, built on Android 16.

The Xiaomi 17 and 17 Pro come with 6.3-inch 2K OLED LTPO displays with ultra-thin 1.18 mm bezels. Their camera systems, co-engineered with German optics company Leica, feature four 50-megapixel modules, including the front-facing camera. The Pro and Pro Max models also sport an auxiliary rear display to enhance photography options.

Battery capacity ranges from 7,000 mAh for the base model to 7,500 mAh for the Pro and Pro Max, all supporting 100W fast charging and using new silicon-carbide L-shaped batteries.

In China, prices for the Xiaomi 17 start at 4,499 yuan (approx. USD 630) for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, with higher configurations offering up to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. This positions Xiaomi as a lower-cost alternative to Apple flagships with a comparable feature set.

The launch is part of Xiaomi’s long-term strategy, which includes investing about USD 7 billion over the next decade into developing its own semiconductors. Last year, the company introduced its first high-performance chip, the XRing 01, and is already working on its successor.

Analysts note that the combination of aggressive pricing and cutting-edge technology could strengthen Xiaomi’s presence in the premium segment and put pressure on established market leaders, particularly amid intensifying competition between Chinese and U.S. tech companies.

It remains unclear when the 17-series will roll out globally, but experts agree its debut could influence pricing and innovation strategies across the industry. Meanwhile, Xiaomi is preparing a major update of its operating system: HyperOS 3 will begin rolling out to dozens of smartphones and tablets in October 2025, with the process expected to be completed by March 2026.