The 17 story does not end with the 17T series. It also has a Max model. Folks, meet the Xiaomi 17 Max. Billed as the all-new imaging flagship, the Xiaomi 17 Max [CH] is for users who want Leica imaging, a gigantic display, ridiculous battery life, and enough processing power to make a gaming laptop nervous.
At this point, we are not even going to pretend we understand Xiaomi’s strategy. Perhaps the company gets a kick out of confusing consumers. Or perhaps this is for folks who want Leica imaging without carrying around the bulk of the Ultra.
Whatever the reason, the Xiaomi 17 Max is one heck of a phone.
Leica Imaging Without Going Ultra
The star of the show is the Leica camera system. Leading the charge is a 200 MP Leica main camera based on the HP9 sensor, complete with an f/1.65 aperture, OIS, QPD autofocus, and 16-in-1 pixel binning that produces 2.24 μm effective pixels. In plain English: it is built to capture a lot of light.
Backing it up is a 50 MP Leica periscope telephoto camera with a large 1/2-inch sensor, 3x optical zoom, OIS, and telemacro capability down to 15 cm (5.9 inches). Completing the trio is a 50 MP Leica ultra-wide camera with a 102-degree field of view.
As expected, Xiaomi has thrown every Leica-flavored imaging feature it can think of into the mix. Leica Authentic and Leica Vibrant image profiles return, alongside Leica watermarks, Master Lens Pack, motion tracking focus, audio tracking focus, street photography mode, Dolby Vision support, professional presets, and the company’s new Leica 4K Live Photos feature.
Video recording is equally serious, with support for 8K at 30 fps, 4K at up to 120 fps, and 4K slow motion at 120 fps.
Snapdragon Muscle Meets an 8,000 mAh Battery
Powering the Xiaomi 17 Max is Qualcomm’s fifth-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, built on TSMC’s third-generation 3 nm process and paired with up to 16 GB of LPDDR5X memory and 512 GB of UFS 4.1 storage.
If the processor is impressive, the battery is downright absurd.
The Xiaomi 17 Max packs an 8,000 mAh Xiaomi Jinshajiang battery. That is laptop territory. The phone supports 100 W wired charging, 50 W wireless charging, wireless reverse charging, and 22.5 W wired reverse charging. In other words, it may have enough battery capacity to outlast your patience.
A Display That Lives Up to the Name
The “Max” branding is not just for show. Up front is a massive 6.9-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2608 × 1200, up to 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, HDR Vivid, Dolby Vision, and a peak brightness of 3,500 nits.
The panel is protected by Xiaomi Dragon Crystal Glass 3.0 and features ultra-thin bezels on all four sides. Xiaomi also calls it a “Super Pixel Display,” which sounds like something Mario would use, but is actually part of the company’s display branding.
The Rest of the Good Stuff
The Xiaomi 17 Max also includes an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio certification, spatial audio, a four-microphone array, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, USB 3.2 Gen 1, an IR blaster, a 3D ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, Xiaomi’s Star Communication System, and HyperOS 3.
The phone measures 162.9 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm and weighs up to 225 g depending on finish.
So… Why Does This Exist?
That is a fair question.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra remains the company’s undisputed camera monster. The Xiaomi 17 and 17 Pro cover the mainstream flagship crowd. The Xiaomi 17T series takes care of international buyers.
Then there is the Xiaomi 17 Max.
It feels like Xiaomi looked at the lineup and said, “What if we made a phone with a 6.9-inch display, an 8,000 mAh battery, a Leica camera system, flagship performance, and absolutely no interest in being subtle?”
Pricing and availability
The Xiaomi 17 Max has been launched in China with a starting price of 4,799 yuan [CH] (~709 USD).
Images: Xiaomi [CH].
