As the flagship of Xiaomi’s number series， the Xiaomi 17 series of mobile phones has skipped the “16” naming convention and launched with three models: the standard Xiaomi 17， and two Pro variants， the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. This positions them for a direct confrontation with Apple’s iPhone 17 series.
We’ve had the opportunity to get our hands on the Xiaomi 17 Pro and are here to share our impressions of this new Xiaomi flagship.
Undoubtedly， the most striking feature is the 2.66-inch “Myriad Display” on the back. This screen seamlessly integrates with the camera module， offering exceptional detail and visual appeal. In an era of design homogenization in the smartphone industry， this display is a truly groundbreaking innovation that is sure to capture users’ attention.
Appearance: Aesthetics and Grip Exceed Expectations
The packaging for the Xiaomi 17 Pro adopts a fresh design approach. Its long， slim form factor and minimalist white aesthetic， reminiscent of the Flip2， contribute to a sleeker profile. This not only enhances the product’s visual appeal but also facilitates easier shipping and a more premium unboxing experience.
The Xiaomi 17 Pro boasts a compact and refined aesthetic. It features a 6.3-inch flat display with dimensions of 151mm x 71.8mm x 8mm. The phone feels exceptionally comfortable to hold， with its 71.8mm width making single-handed operation effortless. Whether it’s changing music， browsing social media on the go， or replying to messages on a crowded subway， one-handed use is a breeze. This level of portability meets the standard expected from a compact flagship device.
The back of the Xiaomi 17 Pro features a four-way curved， integrated frame design. This allows for a more natural transition between the back panel and the frame， conforming comfortably to the palm. Beyond enhancing grip， this design also contributes to the overall structural integrity of the phone， offering a more robust and reliable build.
Furthermore， the Xiaomi 17 Pro weighs only 192g， meaning it doesn’t feel heavy or cumbersome in hand， further improving the user experience. For those who prioritize tactile feel and ergonomics， the Pro version is an excellent choice.
The Xiaomi 17 Pro series is available in four classic colorways: Black， White， Cool Smoke Purple， and Forest Green. Our unit is in Forest Green， a color inspired by the deep hues of ancient forests. It’s not a vibrant， flashy green， but rather a sophisticated， subdued shade that exudes a sense of maturity and understated elegance， making it a standout option among the available colors.
The Myriad Display: A New Interactive Experience and Enhanced Convenience
Shifting focus to the rear design， Xiaomi’s “Myriad Display” represents a paradigm shift in smartphone innovation. This secondary screen transforms the phone’s back from a mere glass panel into an interactive extension of the main display. For instance， when taking selfies， the rear display acts as a viewfinder， simplifying composition and allowing users to capture high-quality shots with the superior main camera.
Additionally， the Myriad Display can function as a notification center. Unlike traditional phones where missed calls and notifications can occur when placed face down， the Xiaomi 17 Pro’s rear screen displays incoming calls， app alerts， and can even show the time or dynamic wallpapers. This combination of aesthetic appeal and practical functionality offers immense versatility.
Regarding display quality， this rear screen delivers an excellent visual experience， indistinguishable from the main front display， and remains clearly visible even in bright sunlight.
The Xiaomi 17 Pro’s rear display also supports an AI Wallpaper function. Beyond pre-set options， users can design personalized wallpapers using their own photos， with various stylistic choices available to maximize the phone’s individuality.
In addition to static wallpapers， a selection of dynamic wallpapers is also available， allowing users to customize their device further based on their preferences.
Xiaomi has also introduced a unique accessory for the 17 Pro series: a “Retro Handheld Protective Case.” This case transforms the phone’s rear display into a vintage gaming console， complete with buttons. Paired with an emulator， it’s a dream come true for fans of retro gaming. The case connects via Bluetooth and charges using the same magnetic charging mechanism as the Xiaomi Mi Band， offering up to seven days of battery life on a single charge. The physical buttons provide a short， tactile travel with immediate responsiveness.
On the front， the Xiaomi 17 Pro features a vibrant 6.3-inch flat display utilizing the new M10 luminescent system. This innovation delves into the material layer， achieving a peak brightness of 3500 nits at a 25% APL wide window. Thanks to a novel red luminescent material， the red light efficiency surpasses that of imported materials by 6.8%， and the full brightness power consumption curve is lower than that of the iPhone.
The screen also benefits from Xiaomi’s multi-screen color consistency technology， ensuring uniform color reproduction across Xiaomi display devices. Additionally， it supports full-range DC dimming and hardware-level low blue light filtering for enhanced eye protection. Adaptive refresh rate adjustment across multiple stages not only ensures vibrant colors and a smooth， fluid user experience but also contributes to reduced power consumption and improved overall battery life.
The punch-hole front camera， powered by HyperOS 3， also supports the “island” feature for various applications. With a 50-megapixel front camera sensor (OV50M)， it delivers exceptional selfie quality.
The display exhibits uniform bezels on all sides， creating a visually immersive experience. The carefully crafted large R-angles ensure a comfortable grip without any sharp edges. The iconic full coverage of Dragon Crystal glass provides enhanced resistance to impacts and scratches.
Moving on to the imaging capabilities， the Xiaomi 17 Pro series continues its deep collaboration with Leica， featuring a triple-lens camera system with large apertures. The main sensor is a 50-megapixel “Light Hunter 950L” with third-generation LOFIC technology for exceptional dynamic range， particularly in challenging backlit conditions. The lens’s multi-layer coating effectively minimizes glare and ghosting， ensuring superior optical performance.
Combined with a large light-gathering capability and wide aperture， the image quality is further enhanced.
The telephoto lens offers 5x optical zoom， providing excellent compression for distant subjects without any loss in image quality. Furthermore， its low-light performance is surprisingly impressive.
Sample Photos:
In challenging night scenes with extreme light and shadow contrast， the Xiaomi 17 Pro demonstrates remarkable capability. The sample images showcase a harmonious balance of light and shadow， closely replicating what the human eye perceives， resulting in excellent image fidelity.
These sample images illustrate the Xiaomi 17 Pro’s ability to beautifully capture the play of light filtering through tree branches and dappling the ground， even at 2x optical zoom. The results are truly aesthetically pleasing.
The telephoto lens enhances everyday photography by providing a greater sense of depth and creative flexibility， allowing for telephoto macro shots as well. Our tests confirm the Xiaomi 17 Pro’s impressive light intake， leading to superior final images and making professional-quality shots achievable with ease. Combined with Leica’s optical expertise and color tuning， the sample images feature colors that are generally pleasing to most users.
The True Flagship: Qualcomm’s 5th Gen Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform
As a key Qualcomm partner， the Xiaomi 17 series is equipped with the latest 5th Gen Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform. Built on TSMC’s 3nm process， it employs a 2+6 core architecture， featuring two performance cores and six efficiency cores. The prime cores reach an impressive 4.6GHz clock speed， delivering substantial improvements in both CPU and GPU performance compared to the previous generation.
In GeekBench 6， the single-core performance score reaches 3754， and the multi-core score is an impressive 11490， representing approximately a 20% increase in single-core performance over the previous generation. Beyond the significant performance gains， the prime core power consumption has been reduced by 35%， and GPU power consumption by 30%. This translates to improved performance alongside reduced power draw， offering an exceptional power efficiency ratio.
GFX Bench results show a solid performance in graphics-intensive tasks， achieving 114 FPS in 2K Aztec Ruins Vulkan and 249 FPS in 1080P， indicating excellent overall graphical capabilities.
Actual Gaming Performance:
In Genshin Impact， with maximum settings and 60 FPS， the game maintains a remarkably stable average frame rate of 59.89 FPS， with no noticeable fluctuations， demonstrating exceptional performance.
For more demanding titles like Honkai: Star Rail， the device achieves an average frame rate of 58.94 FPS during exploration， with consistent performance and minimal frame drops. The average power consumption in this scenario is 6.3W.
In Honor of Kings， the game runs at a smooth 120 FPS， with an average power consumption of only 3.4W. This indicates excellent power management and sustained performance for a smooth gaming experience.
Xiaomi also offers the “Dragon Scale Fiber Magnetic Protective Case” for the Xiaomi 17 Pro series. This case is exceptionally thin and light， similar in feel to carbon fiber， providing a near-naked device experience. It’s ideal for users who value premium materials and a refined touch. The magnetic design also enables compatibility with a range of accessories， including magnetic coolers， power banks， and wireless chargers.
Among these accessories， we also received Xiaomi’s new ultra-thin magnetic wireless power bank. This power bank supports magnetic attachment and， utilizing Xiaomi’s Jinsha River battery technology， offers a substantial 5000mAh capacity despite its slim profile. It is also compatible with iPhones.
The craftsmanship of this power bank is exceptional， featuring an aluminum alloy frame with a refined finish. It delivers a wireless charging efficiency of 15W， enabling rapid charging for your phone.
When paired with the Xiaomi 17 Pro， the Xiaomi ultra-thin magnetic wireless power bank adds minimal bulk without compromising the phone’s excellent feel. It serves as a stylish and functional accessory， effectively providing an extra battery pack without adding significant weight or inconvenience for portability. The overall user experience is highly satisfactory.
In terms of battery life， the Xiaomi 17 Pro is equipped with a substantial 6300mAh battery， featuring an “L” shaped design to optimize internal space utilization. Compared to the previous generation’s 15 Pro， this represents a 2000mAh increase in battery capacity， leading to significantly improved endurance. Coupled with 100W fast charging， battery anxiety becomes a thing of the past.
Additionally， the Xiaomi 17 Pro supports UWB technology， enabling centimeter-level precise positioning. This can be utilized as a car key， offering a seamless experience of the car unlocking upon approach and locking when departing.
In Conclusion:
The Xiaomi 17 Pro redefines industry standards with its innovative design language. The “Myriad Display” is not merely a cosmetic feature but a significant upgrade to functional experience， offering users a novel interactive interface. In a market saturated with similar designs， this groundbreaking innovation sets a remarkable precedent for the entire smartphone industry.
The debut of the 5th Gen Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 flagship mobile platform ensures that this device achieves industry-leading performance. Both in terms of user experience and technical specifications， it unequivocally represents the pinnacle of flagship technology.
Furthermore， the enhanced HyperOS 3 system brings comprehensive improvements in system fluidity and functionality. From a product perspective alone， the Xiaomi 17 Pro surpasses the iPhone in terms of ergonomics， performance， and innovative design， solidifying its position as the new benchmark for true flagship smartphones.
