Over the past three years, Xiaomi has achieved both sales and critical acclaim with its three small straight-screen phones: the Xiaomi 13, Xiaomi 14, and Xiaomi 15. This has led to a surge in the smartphone market. However, the old saying, "Wealth doesn't last for more than three generations," has been disproven by the Xiaomi 15. So, how will the Xiaomi 17, the fourth generation of small straight-screen phones, perform?
Maintaining Advantages and Refining Details
The Xiaomi 17, while continuing the tradition of small straight-screen phones, has focused on subtle details, fine-tuning the overall proportions that impact user experience and visual quality. For example, the rounded corners of the Xiaomi 17 feature a new, ultra-elliptical design, which not only creates a smoother and rounder grip, but also enhances the viewing experience at the four corners of the screen.
What surprised me most about the Xiaomi 17 was Xiaomi's use of a cold-sculpted glass crater in its Deco design. This creates a more unified and cohesive back, and the uniform color tone reduces the abruptness of the camera lens, giving the device a more refined and premium look.
The Xiaomi 17 comes in four colors. In addition to the timeless black and white, there are two refreshing shades: Snow Mountain Pink and Ice Melt Blue. My phone is in Ice Melt Blue, and its name is aptly named. This color is incredibly clear, reminiscent of the pure, gentle touch of sunlight melting ice and snow.
On the front, the Xiaomi 17's LIPO process has been further refined, further reducing borders, from the previous generation's industry-standard 1.38mm to an even more extreme 1.18mm, creating a truly visually striking display.
It's worth noting that the Xiaomi 17's screen utilizes the same M10 illumination system found in the Pro series. This new lighting system, from a performance-oriented perspective, achieves both high brightness and low power consumption. Especially in outdoor scenarios, the Xiaomi 17 can achieve a peak brightness of 3500 nits at 25% APL, compared to the conventional triggering requirement of 1% APL, providing clearer outdoor viewing.
First Launch of the 5th Generation Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition
In terms of performance, Xiaomi's performance is undeniable. The entire series utilizes the 5th Generation Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition SoC, once again an industry first. This new mobile processing platform maintains its 2+6 core architecture, with two super-cores clocked at up to 4.6GHz, setting a new record for mobile platforms. AnTuTu scores of over 3.7 million were achieved.
This SoC, manufactured using TSMC's third-generation 3nm N3P process, not only delivers a significant performance boost, but also boasts superior energy efficiency. The CPU super-core power consumption is reduced by up to 35% compared to the previous generation, and GPU power consumption is reduced by up to 30%. In terms of battery life, the Xiaomi 17 boasts a truly impressive battery capacity. The massive 7000mAh battery is 1600mAh larger than the previous-generation Xiaomi 15. This is primarily due to the Jinshajiang battery in the Xiaomi 17, which boasts an energy density of 894Wh/L and a 16% silicon content, 2.5 times that of the previous generation.
For charging, the Xiaomi 17 utilizes a 100W wired + 50W wireless fast charging combination. The built-in Surge P3 charging chip is also compatible with the 100W PPS universal charging protocol, significantly improving fast charging compatibility.
It's worth noting that Xiaomi also offers a Dragon Scale Fiber case with magnetic suction for the Xiaomi 17 series. Paired with Xiaomi's ultra-thin Jinshajiang power bank, it allows for wired or wireless charging anytime, anywhere.
Leica Summilux, a classic as always
In terms of imaging, the Xiaomi 17 continues the acclaimed Leica Summilux lens design, featuring a classic triple-camera setup consisting of a main camera, telephoto lens, and wide-angle lens.
The Xiaomi 17's main camera has been upgraded to the Xiaomi Photo Hunter 950. As can be seen in the sample images, the main camera's large 1/1.31-inch sensor paired with a wide f/1.67 aperture delivers enhanced light sensitivity, resulting in richer gradations of light and shadow.
As for my favorite telephoto lens, the Xiaomi 17 utilizes the Leica floating telephoto design, which offers 2.6x optical zoom and 5x lossless zoom. With a wide focusing range from 10cm ultra-close to infinity, the Xiaomi 17's telephoto lens is perfectly capable of capturing distant landscapes or zooming in for close-up macro shots.
The Xiaomi 17 supports 48 communication frequency bands, and the newly upgraded Xiaomi Surge signal booster chip T1P improves signal strength and network stability. Therefore, the Xiaomi 17's global internet access covers over 210 countries and regions, supporting over 520 global carriers. Whether traveling internationally or on business, the Xiaomi 17 allows you to travel freely around the world without a backup phone.
Final Note
In summary, for the standard version of the current Xiaomi digital series, the success of previous generations has enabled the Xiaomi 17 to maintain the glory of its predecessors with relatively minimal changes. Therefore, Xiaomi's continued refinement of the details while maintaining these qualities is a truly correct decision. Therefore, I believe the new Xiaomi 17 standard version will remain a leader in the small straight-screen market, without a doubt.
