Xiaomi 17T Pro review: runs 30 per cent longer than its predecessor
11/6/2026
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Pictures: Jan Johannsen
Using state-of-the-art battery technology, Xiaomi has extended the runtime of its 17T Pro. The new camera features make this top-of-the-line smartphone even more appealing.
The camera bump is chunkier again, the chipset’s been upgraded by one generation, and the main camera features a new image sensor. But ultimately, the larger battery is the Xiaomi 17T Pro’s best new feature. However, the manufacturer already offers a flagship model in the same price range as the Xiaomi 17.
Back to the old camera bump
I liked the flattened edges on the camera bump of the Xiaomi 15T Pro. But for the 17T Pro, Xiaomi has stepped it down a notch. Without the flattened edges, the bump looks chunkier again. Compared to the rest of its casing and certain other smartphones, however, the raised edge isn’t that high. Besides, the included case makes the bump appear a little smaller.
The AMOLED display measures 6.83 inches diagonally. With a resolution of 2772 × 1280 pixels, you get a sharp image. A refresh rate of up to 144 hertz guarantees a smooth display. That’s bright enough to be used in sunlight, even though the specified peak brightness of 3,500 nits is only reached briefly when viewing HDR content. Gorilla Glass 7i protects the screen from scratches.
With its EyeCare Shield, Xiaomi is providing users with several settings designed to protect their eyes. Eye Comfort Mode automatically adjusts colours based on app types and the sun’s position, for example. You can adjust the intensity of the blue light filter and add a paper texture to the view. This makes surfaces appear rougher. You can also reduce the colour intensity or switch to greyscale entirely.
The Xiaomi 17’s frame is made of aluminium, while the back is made of plastic. It isn’t completely immune to fingerprints, but at least it doesn’t attract them. The entire casing is IP68 water- and dustproof. You shouldn’t use the phone underwater, though.
Stage Mode and Supermoon Mode
The Xiaomi 17T’s main camera has been equipped with a new image sensor, the Light Fusion 950. The improvements don’t immediately stand out to me compared to the Light Fusion 900 in the previous model. Xiaomi hasn’t made any changes to the other cameras compared to the 15T Pro. What really impresses me, though, are two new functions that are mainly intended for the telephoto lens: Stage Mode and Supermoon.
The main camera’s sensor mentioned above has a resolution of 50 megapixels. The telephoto camera has the same resolution and a focal length that, compared to the main camera, is five times as long at 115 mm (35 mm equivalent). The ultra-wide-angle camera has a resolution of 12 megapixels, and the front-facing camera takes selfies at 32 megapixels.
Stage Mode for shows
In Stage Mode, the camera settings and photo post-processing are adjusted to suit the specific environment of a concert, a play or other events on stage. Stage Mode prevents overexposure of the illuminated areas and doesn’t try to artificially brighten the dark areas often found on a stage. Instead, it keeps them really dark.
As you might expect, Stage Mode also works with the telephoto camera. I was impressed by this during the showcasing of the 17T series:
Keeping an eye on the moon
Another new feature is Supermoon Mode. It’s automatically activated when you zoom in beyond 20x magnification and the camera recognises the moon as the subject. The software works away in the background to ensure you’re presented with a sharp and amazingly detailed image of the moon. Here’s how the results compare to the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL.
Samsung already caused a stir with its detailed photos of the moon quite a while ago. At the time, there were rumours that Samsung was replacing users’ photos with ones from a database. Put less harshly, this means that AI can retouch it more effectively than other subjects, as the moon always looks the same from Earth.
As with all Xiaomi smartphones that feature Leica technology, the Xiaomi 17T Pro also lets you choose between two image styles. Leica Vibrant is the default and is designed to produce photos with a social media aesthetic. Leica Authentic, on the other hand, is designed to replicate the classic Leica look of analogue cameras. This is what they look like side by side:
Xiaomi has announced another new feature: Leica Live Moment. However, the corresponding software update hasn’t been released yet. That’s why I can’t tell if this is just a renaming of the existing Live Moment function. What that function does is take a photo and record a short video of the moment just before the photo is taken. So far, Xiaomi has only shown post-processing options as a new feature of the Leica add-on.
The cameras are impressive overall
Of the three cameras on the back, the ultra-wide-angle lens offers the poorest image quality. It’s a little more pixelated, and the colours are a bit duller. But the differences are only noticeable on a large screen. On the smartphone, the three cameras appear to perform equally well.
The level of detail is high, and strong contrasts pose no problem for any of the cameras. With the telephoto lens, you can get closer to your subjects without losing image quality.
In dim lighting, it’s the same thing. The ultra-wide-angle isn’t as good as the other two.
Larger battery capacity extends the runtime
With a capacity of 7,000 mAh, the Xiaomi 17T Pro is equipped with the largest battery of any smartphone sold by Xiaomi outside of China. Compared to its predecessor, it’s been increased by 1,500 mAh, so about 27 per cent more. The new battery has a higher proportion of lithium-carbon, so the increase doesn’t show in the smartphone’s size. Having said that, I’m unfamiliar with the exact dimensions, and the 17T Pro is nine grammes heavier and now weighs 219 grammes.
According to my measurements, the battery life has boosted the phone’s runtime by just over five hours, or 30 per cent, to 21 hours and 26 minutes. This secures it a spot at the bottom of our current top 10 list of phones ranked by battery life. Its predecessor managed 16 hours and 23 minutes when tested. The increase is roughly proportional to the additional capacity.
The charging power is high, reaching up to 100 watts, provided your charger supports Xiaomi’s HyperCharge fast-charging technology. A power supply isn’t included. The 17T Pro supports wireless charging up to 50 watts.
With the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, Xiaomi has equipped the 17T Pro with the next-generation chip compared to its predecessor. Based on the average of several benchmark tests, I measured a 20-per-cent increase in CPU performance. GPU performance has increased by 10 per cent. Compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra, the Dimensity doesn’t perform quite as well. Nevertheless, all of the chips are powerful enough for the vast majority of applications.
Quickshare works with AirDrop
The Xiaomi 17T Pro runs HyperOS 3, which is based on Android 16. It’s intended to expand the list of apps Hyper Island uses to display information. This refers to the area around the front camera, which bears a striking resemblance to iPhone’s Dynamic Island.
With the 17T Pro, Xiaomi can now also connect Quickshare to AirDrop, allowing users to wirelessly exchange data with iPhones, iPads and Macs. One of HyperOS’s key features is its interconnectivity. This allows apps to be controlled from other devices or used across devices – similar to the Apple ecosystem. This has not been part of Android’s standard features so far.
Xiaomi has brought together its AI tools and the Gemini personal assistant under the name HyperAI. They’re mainly used for translations, but they also help with writing and editing images.
Like on previous Xiaomi smartphones, the 17T Pro has a large number of pre-installed apps. Xiaomi will provide it with feature updates for five years. The smartphone will also receive security updates for six years.
In a nutshell
The 1B variant of Xiaomi’s top models
The extended battery life is the biggest advantage of the Xiaomi 17T Pro. That aside, expect an outstanding display with more settings than those offered by other manufacturers. Its performance is more than sufficient and both the main camera and telephoto camera produce beautiful images. Stage Mode and Quickshare compatibility with AirDrop offer two helpful new software functions.
The camera bump, which is no longer levelled, is just a minor cosmetic flaw. The biggest drawback for me is the ultra-wide-angle camera, which simply isn’t as good as the other two cameras in terms of quality.
The T series is essentially the 1B variant of Xiaomi’s top-of-the-line models, and its price has now caught up with them. The Xiaomi 17 is similarly expensive but more compact and, more importantly, equipped with a superior ultra-wide-angle camera.
Pro
- Long battery life
- Camera with Stage Mode
- Quickshare works with AirDrop
Contra
- The camera bump no longer has flat edges
- The ultra-wide-angle camera isn’t as good as the other cameras
- Value for money not as good as it used to be
Header image: Jan Johannsen
Jan Johannsen
Senior Editor
Jan.Johannsen@galaxus.deAs a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
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