The small device market is shrinking as many people think that by paying less they can buy a device with a bigger screen and battery. For those looking for a small device but without compromise, last year the Xiaomi 15 proved that it can be done. A year has passed, is the Xiaomi 17 still worthy of being given the throne of the Little Emperor?
Specifications
Xiaomi 17
6.3″ OLED screen, LTPO
QHD+, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor (3nm)
2x Oryon V3 Phoenix L 4.6 GHz chips
6x Oryon V3 Phoenix M 3.62 GHz
Adreno 840 GPU
RAM 12GB LPDDR5x
12GB virtual Memory
Storage 256/512 GB UFS 4.1
Primary Camera 50MP f/1.6, OIS (Wide Angle)
50MP f/2.3 (Ultra Wide Angle)
50MP f/2.0, OIS (Telephoto 2.6X)
Front Camera 50 MP f/2.2
6330 mAh battery
100W wired charging
Charging wireless 50W
Reverse 10W
SIM/Dual SIM/5G Telephony
NFC Yes
Audio Jack No
Waterproof IP68
Ultrasonic Under-Screen Fingerprint Scanning System
Face Scanning
Price RM 3499 (12/256GB)
RM 3799 (12/512GB)
Screen
The screen is a 6.3″ OLED that supports a 120Hz refresh rate in LTPO and has a maximum brightness of 3500 nits. It is also flat with a fairly thin bezel size. I must admit that the Xiaomi 157 screen is a bit small for my hands who are used to screens of 6.6″ and above but it is a good enough size for those looking for a compact-sized device. After a week of use, it became a normal phone. This year's screen is actually smaller than last year (6.36″) but brighter (3200 nits).
The screen can display HDR10+ and Dolby Vision content like last year, which is protected by the durable Xiaomi Shield Glass panel. The color and content display are clear and beautiful. There are no issues viewing content under bright sunlight. All scrolling is also detected well. The haptic system used also provides realistic vibrations according to the menu being accessed in the application.
Biometrics
An ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is also maintained under the screen with a strategic position to facilitate the process of unlocking the device. The use of ultrasonic sensors allows the Xiaomi 17 to be unlocked even if the fingers are wet or dirty quite quickly.
Face scanning can also be used as long as it is not in a situation where the conditions are too dark. In the majority of situations, the screen is locked in the blink of an eye. Even if the device is not right in front of the face, the scanning system can unlock. Therefore, I prefer the Xiaomi 17's face scanning system over the fingerprint scanning.
Design
The design is not much different from the Xiaomi 17 because the sides are flat with only the corners rounded. The body feels sturdy in the hand because the metal frame is used. The back panel feels like it's made of polycarbonate, allowing for wireless and reverse charging. However, the magnets used on the back panel aren't very strong. Even when paired with Xiaomi's wireless charger, they're not as strong as the magnets on the back of the iPhone. The surface isn't shiny and therefore doesn't get dirty easily.
The power button and volume rocker are placed on the right side. Both buttons are made of metal, which makes pressing them quite comfortable. The audio grille, USB-C charging port, and SIM tray are placed on the bottom. There's no speaker hole on the top, so one speaker shoots forward and the other to the side.
The infrared emitter is placed in the camera bump on the back of the device like the Xiaomi 15. This means I don't have to hold the Xiaomi 17 like a remote control to use it. In a vertical position, the air conditioning at home can be controlled. This year's bump is more rounded and looks smaller but still houses the 3 main camera lenses. The height of the bump is only modest given its large size, so it can still be placed flat on a table surface.
The body of the device is comfortable in the hand due to its small size and it passes the IP68 dust and water resistance standards. There will be no issues with the device feeling too heavy or unbalanced. All the good things from Xiaomi 15 years ago are back in Xiaomi 17.
Usage and Software
The HyperOS 3.0.12 operating system that I use is based on Android 16 but with some additions by Xiaomi. The interface works smoothly and is quite responsive. Among the highlights is HyperIsland which is similar to Dynamic Island in iOS. The HyperIsland mini window can display charging information, earphone battery level, live activities, music controls and more. Two activities can be displayed by HyperIsland with one in an oval-shaped window and the other in a circle.
New personalization on the lock screen is also introduced. Cinematic videos can be used with 3D information that can hide widgets such as clocks behind elements in the video. For those who prefer animation, cinematic videos can be transformed into anime style using artificial intelligence (AI).
There is built-in support for Circle to Search and Google Gemini. Xiaomi HyperAI can also perform real-time translation, image editing, image enlargement, document summarization, transcription of recorded audio, and automatic subtitle generation for videos. I will not touch on this in detail because all these AI features are the same as those currently offered on the majority of flagship Android devices, only with different “flavors” by each manufacturer.
What distinguishes this Xiaomi device from the Galaxy S26 series that was also recently announced is that the Google Personal Intelligence AI agent feature is exclusive to Samsung devices at this time. Since this feature is only given to users in South Korea and America, Xiaomi 17 buyers in Malaysia are not actually experiencing a significant loss at this time.
Another interesting feature, especially if you are also a user of the Apple ecosystem, is that the Xiaomi 17 can be used with iPhone, iPad and Macbook. After installing the Xiaomi Interconnectivity app, I was able to display the Xiaomi 17's screen on my MacBook just like an iPhone via the Home screen+. Cross-platform file transfer can also be done using Xiaomi Share. Last year, this issue was not so smooth, but this year it feels like a native Apple app.
Benchmarks
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip is used in the Xiaomi 17, which is paired with 12GB LPDDR5X memory and up to 512GB UFS 4.1 storage. This puts it in the category of powerful flagship devices. Here are the scores recorded in the Antutu 3D, Geekbench and 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme tests. The scores are compared with the devices below.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Realme GT8 Pro – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
iQOO 15 – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Honor Magic8 Pro – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Vivo X300 Pro – Dimensity 9500
OnePlus 15 – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Oppo Find X9 Pro – Dimensity 9500
Apple iPhone 17 Pro – A19 Pro
AnTuTu 3D
Score Device
Xiaomi 17 3,530,586
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 3,136,285
Realme GT8 Pro 3,066,488
iQOO 15 3,726,305
Honor Magic8 Pro 3,424,247
Vivo X300 Pro 3,507,869
OnePlus 15 3,720,096
Oppo Find X9 Pro 3,472,342
Apple iPhone 17 Pro 2,634,345
Geekbench 6
Single Core Multi Core Device
Xiaomi 17 3294 9416
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 3651 10,819
Realme GT8 Pro 3482 8153
iQOO 15 3480 9789
Honor Magic8 Pro 3587 9853
Vivo X300 Pro 3507 10469
OnePlus 15 3553 10484
Oppo Find X9 Pro 3158 9298
Apple iPhone 17 Pro 3560 8835
3DMark Wildlife Extreme
Chip Score
Xiaomi 17 5491
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 7375
Realme GT8 Pro 5461
iQOO 15 6788
Honor Magic8 Pro 7659
Vivo X300 Pro 7075
OnePlus 15 6741
Oppo Find X9 Pro 6127
Apple iPhone 17 Pro 5873
The device feels smooth and fast in line with the scores recorded in the benchmarks above. In terms of performance it is competitive with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 devices in the market. I can say that from a user experience perspective there is no significant difference between all the devices listed above.
The only difference is in the heat of the device after a video game session and the frame rate in certain games. The hottest is still the OnePlus 15 despite the high scores recorded. Games like COD Mobile, Wuthering Waves and Genshin Impact can be played on high settings without any major issues.
Camera
The main camera consists of a 50MP f/1.6 wide-angle lens (OIS), a 50MP f/2.3 ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 50MP f/2.4 2.6X telephoto (OIS) and a 50MP f/2.0 periscope telephoto (OIS). This is matched by a 50MP f/2.0 front camera. The only change is made to the selfie camera sensor which was previously only 50MP
The Leica Vibrant, Leica Authentic, Leica BW and Leica BW High Contrast modes return with each one with a different color “recipe”. I like the Leica Vibrant profile the most which enhances color clarity and is most compatible for most situations. The Leica Authentic looks darker and moody as if it was taken using film.
In all situations the pictures that this camera system can take are very satisfactory. I praise the color reproduction and the night mode which still looks bright assisted by the HDR system which ensures that all objects can be seen well. The camera also works quickly when needed.
Audio
There are stereo speakers with slightly unbalanced audio. It is a little less loud according to my ears. Dolby Atmos and Xiaomi Sound audio systems can be used with built-in EQ settings to change the audio profile according to user preferences. For watching videos I find it satisfactory. But for the best audio experience use a separate earphone or headphone accessory,.
Xiaomi HyperIsland
Battery
The 6330 mAh battery this year is larger than last year's 5240 mAh. It is still of the silicon carbon type and it is amazing that a battery of this size can be fitted into a small body. It is a shame to see Samsung and Apple still "persevere" in offering batteries around 5000 mAh only while Chinese competitors are racing to offer large batteries as standard.
The battery can last more than a whole day in moderate and normal use. SOT around 12-13 hours can be enjoyed consistently. Battery life is so excellent that I no longer need to go out with a power bank.
There is support for 100W wired charging and up to 50W wirelessly. This requires Xiaomi's own charger which is not included in the box. At the time of review, I was only able to charge at 50W and the charging time was around 50 minutes which is still fast for such a large battery capacity.
Competitors
Xiaomi 17 Samsung Galaxy S26 Vivo X300
6.3″ OLED LTPO, 120Hz
Dolby Vision, 3500 nit 6.3″ Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nit 6.13″ LTPO MOLED, 60Hz,
HDr10+, 4500 nits
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5(3nm)
2x Oryon V3 Phoenix L 4.6 GHz
6x Oryon V3 Phoenix M 3.62 GHz Exynos 2600 (2nm)
1x C1-Ultra 3.80 GHz
3x C1-Pro 3.25 GHz
6x C1-Pro 2.75 GHz Dimensity 9500 (3nm)
1x C1-Ultra 4.21 GHz
3x C1-Premium 3.5 GHz
4x C1-Pro 2.7 GHz
Adreno 840 Xclipse 960 Arm G1-Ultra
12 GB LPDRR5X 12 GB LPDRR5X 8GB RAM
256/512 GB UFS 4.1 512 GB UFS 4.0 128/256/512 GB NVMe
Primary Camera
50 MP, f/1.6 (Wide Angle), OIS
50 MP, f/2.3 (Ultra Wide),
50 MP, f/2.0 (Telephoto 2.6X), OIS
Leica lenses
Primary Camera
50 MP, f/1.8 (Wide Angle), OIS
12 MP, f/2.2 (Ultra Wide),
10 MP, f/2.4 (Telephoto 3X), OIS
Primary Camera
200 MP, f/1.7 (Wide Angle), OIS
50 MP, f/2.0 (Ultra Wide),
50 MP, f/2.6 (Telephoto 3X), OIS
Front Camera
50 MP f/2.2 Front Camera
12 f/2.2 MP Front Camera
50MP f/2.0
IP68 IP68 IP68
No audio jack No audio jack No audio jack
Audio Stereo Audio Stereo Audio Stereo
6330 mAh
Wired 100W
Wireless 50W
Reverse 10W 4300 mAh
Wired 25W
Wireless 15W
Reverse 4.5W 6040 mAh
Wired 90W
Wireless 40W
RM 3499 (12/256GB)
RM 3699 (12/512GB) RM 5199 (12/512GB) RM 3599 (12/256GB)
RM 3899 (16/512GB)
In the Box
Here is what you receive in the box with your purchase.
1x Xiaomi 17
1x Transparent case
1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
1x Manual.
1x SIM pin.
Conclusion
Xiaomi 17 is a mid-sized flagship smartphone with a solid screen, a powerful enough chip, impressive camera capabilities, a large fast-charging battery and improved software. All at a starting price of only RM3499 which is no different from last year's price. It's amazing that Xiaomi can still offer last year's price in which we are facing a chronic RAM shortage crisis. Xiaomi proves that small devices do not have to sacrifice battery, screen and camera like Samsung and Apple have done all this time.
Its closest competitor is the Vivo X300 which is no less powerful but with a larger main camera, a slightly higher price and a slightly more expensive battery. In a situation where devices are sold more and more expensive this year, the Xiaomi 17 and Vivo X300 are two worthwhile options for those looking for a compact device at a reasonable price equipped with solid camera technology.
Pros
The small compact body design feels good in the hand.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is powerful for basic and advanced applications.
Very good camera performance with Leica lenses.
IP68 waterproof and dustproof
Battery life is very good, charging is also fast.
Receives 5 OS versions and 6 years of security patches.
Cons
Speakers are not very loud.
No 100W charger in the box.
Camera specifications are the same as last year.
