Xiaomi 17 Pro Max review

Introduction and specs

From 15 straight to 17. This year's flagship lineup from Xiaomi aligns with Apple's naming scheme to directly compete with the iPhone 17 series. It also introduces a new Pro Max version that, to some extent, is a spiritual successor to the Xiaomi 15 Pro. It's just that it's a tad bigger now.

One thing to keep in mind is that we are reviewing the Chinese version of the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. The international model hasn't been announced yet, so some hardware or software features may differ if and when the phone is released internationally. We purchased our review unit from a Mi Store in China, but many third-party resellers will offer gray imports so the phone is definitely worth considering.

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max sits on top of the lineup, at least for now, until the Xiaomi 17 Ultra comes out, and is built around a 6.9-inch LTPO OLED display. That's a slight bump from the 6.73-inch screen on the Xiaomi 15 Pro last year.

However, the display on the front isn't the centerpiece feature. It's the one on the back. Yes, Xiaomi is trying something bold with its flagship series, and it's slapping a secondary display on the back. It's again LTPO OLED with the same refresh rate and high-end features, but in a 2.9-inch diagonal. It's definitely something that sets the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max apart and spices up the flagship segment. Then again, a secondary display isn't unheard of; in fact, it's a well-known but forgotten feature.

Xiaomi itself has a phone with a secondary display in its portfolio - the Xiaomi 11 Ultra. However, the display at the time was smaller and much less functional, whereas the 17 Pro Max offers a more polished design and a handful of cool features that make the display much more useful.

Xiaomi 17 Pro Max specs at a glance:

• Body: 162.9x77.6x8.0mm, 219g; Glass front (Dragon Crystal Glass 3), fiberglass back, aluminum frame; IP68 dust-tight and water-resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.90" LTPO AMOLED, 68B colors, 2160Hz PWM, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid, HDR10+, 3500 nits (peak), 1200x2608px resolution, 19.56:9 aspect ratio, 416ppi; Secondary display (on the back):, LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid, HDR10+, 3500 nits (peak), 2.9 inches, 596 x 976 pixels.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm): Octa-core (2x4.6 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M); Adreno 840.
• Memory: 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM; UFS 4.1.
• OS/Software: Android 16, HyperOS 3.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.7, 23mm, 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/2.6, 115mm, 1/1.95", 0.8µm, PDAF (30cm - ∞), OIS, 5x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/2.4, 17mm, 102˚, 1/2.88", 0.61µm, PDAF.
• Front camera: 50 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (wide), 1/2.88", 0.61µm, PDAF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@30fps (HDR), 4K@30/60/120fps (HDR10+, 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR, 10-bit LOG), 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 7500mAh; 100W wired, PD3.0, QC3+, 100W USB PD+PPS, 50W wireless, 22.5W reverse wireless.
• Connectivity: 5G; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC 5; NFC; Infrared port.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos); Ultra Wideband (UWB) support.

Another highlight feature is the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. That made the Xiaomi 17 Series the first phones in the world to run Qualcomm's latest and greatest silicon at the time of their launch. As always, it promises not just performance improvements but better efficiency, too.

A small update in the camera department is also present. The main camera gets a smaller aperture, but a bigger and newer Light Fusion 950L sensor. The 5x telephoto camera also swaps out the sensor for a bigger one, thanks to a new prism layout.

Perhaps the most notable change in the camera hardware is the selfie unit. It's now 50MP with AF - a well overdue update.

Last but definitely not least, the battery receives a substantial upgrade and now holds a mind-boggling 7,500 mAh capacity. However, since this is a Chinese unit, we don't know if the international version will be as generous.

Either way, we are impressed by the fact that there are no downgrades in the charging department, because bigger batteries pose a challenge for the fast charging protocols. The 17 Pro Max makes no compromises, supporting 100W fast wired charging and 50W wireless charging, both over Xiaomi's proprietary HyperCharge standard.

Some other notable additions include UWB support and 512GB UFS 4.1 internal storage as a default option.

Unboxing the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max

Since this is a Chinese unit we are reviewing, the retail box is quite generous. You will find not only the usual USB-A-to-USB-C cable for charging and data transfer, but also Xiaomi's 100W HyperCharge charger inside. You also get a transparent, protective silicone case.

If the phone hits the European market, however, the charger will most likely be omitted from the box.