Xiaomi is expanding its 17 series of smartphones with some midrange models — and not just the same phones with different degrees of Leica branding. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra blew me away at the start of the year, so I was intrigued to see what is dripping down to its cheaper devices. While there’s no one-inch camera sensor, the 17T series has 5x telephoto cameras, huge silicon-carbon batteries and displays with high refresh rates. It’s not your typical midrange spec sheet.
Starting with the Xiaomi 17T Pro, it has a 6.83-inch AMOLED screen at 1.5K (2,772 x 1,280) resolution, up to 144Hz refresh rates and peak brightness of 3,500 nits. The main camera is a 50-megapixel sensor with a Leica-made lens(f/1.67) and OIS (optical image stabilization). At the same time, the 5x telephoto has an f/3.0 lens, also with OIS, supporting up to 120x AI-powered “Ultra Zoom” and macro shooting. Finally, there’s a 12MP ultrawide, too.
The smaller Xiaomi 17T still delivers a 5x telephoto camera, a 6.59-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel, with up to 120Hz refresh rates and 3,500-nit peak brightness. Camera-wise, aside from lacking a Leica lens, it’s the same collection of sensors: a 50MP main sensor with f/1.7 aperture, OIS, a 50MP telephoto with OIS and the same 12MP ultra-wide camera. It’s worth noting that many flagships rarely reach 5x optical zoom, needing to crop in for that level. (The iPhone 17 Pro maxes out at 4x optical zoom.)
Both phones have MediaTek processors, although the bigger phone is a little more powerful. The Xiaomi 17T Pro is powered by the 3nm Dimensity 9500, while Xiaomi 17T has the 4nm Dimensity 8500-Ultra. It’s midrange stuff, but the small architecture should make the most of the silicon-carbon batteries. The 17T Pro has a massive 7,000mAh cell, while the 17T is no slouch with its 6,500mAh battery. Both support up to 100W fast-charge, if you’ve got a compatible charger.
Leica continues its collaboration with Xiaomi, even on these cheaper phones. The 17T series debuts a new camera feature: Leica Live Moment, its take on the iPhone’s Live Photos. Alongside stills, both phones capture a snippet of video (available across all the camera sensors), applying Leica’s “signature aesthetic.” It also works with Portrait mode.
Xiaomi says the devices will be available online and at its handful of retail stores in the UK and Europe. The 17T Pro is priced at £799 (roughly $1,070) while the 17T starts at £650 (approximately $871). Unfortunately, yet again, there’s no official word on US availability.
