Xiaomi 17 Review - Compact flagship experience with essential Leica imagery

Ladies and gentlemen, the Xiaomi 17 is finally here in the Philippines! This phone is packed with professional-grade Leica camera tech and top-tier performance, all wrapped up in a sleek, compact design.

Xiaomi 17: the latest compact phone with flagship specs from Xiaomi

We've spent some time with the Xiaomi 17, putting its features, especially its cameras, to the test, and now we're excited to share our initial thoughts. Let's dive in!

Unboxing/Accessories

When we opened the box for the Xiaomi 17, we found the beautiful Ice Blue colorway of the phone itself, a USB-C to USB-C cable, a handy hard plastic protective case, a SIM ejector pin, and the usual paperwork.

The Xiaomi 17 unboxed

Our unit did not come with a power adapter; the global version of the Xiaomi 17 includes one.

Build Quality/Design

Right out of the box, the Xiaomi 17 makes a strong impression. It feels remarkably lightweight in your hand, which is a big plus for a device packed with so many features.

The easy grip is also noticeable, thanks to its thoughtfully designed curves and compact size. You'll really appreciate that it doesn't feel bulky, making it comfortable for one-handed use.

Easy grip and remarkably lightweight

The back of the phone boasts a smooth fiberglass finish, which not only looks premium but also feels great to the touch.

 

Stunning minimalist aesthetic

Xiaomi has clearly put effort into creating a minimalist aesthetic, with precisely tuned "Golden Arc" corners that give it an elegant, seamless look. The ultra-thin bezels around the display also contribute to its modern appeal.

Handy design of Xiaomi 17

Speaking of the display, even with its compact size, it's incredibly crisp and color-accurate. Navigating through apps and menus felt incredibly fluid, and the responsive touchscreen made every interaction a breeze.

This phone is built to withstand daily life too, with high-strength materials and IP68 dust and water resistance, which is always reassuring. IP68 is a bit less compared to most competitors with up to IP69K, but still better than none.

The Xiaomi 17 display

The phone supports Widevine L1 on Netflix, meaning you can stream your favorite shows in high definition, and you can stream up to 4K on YouTube, making it a great device for media consumption.

Supports Widevine L1 on Netflix and up to 4K resolution on YouTube

While the Xiaomi 17 is advertised with dual speakers, we found that the overall sound quality was a bit muffled and not as rich or full as we might have hoped.

One of the stereo speakers is found at the bottom of the phone

It's certainly adequate for casual listening and video playback, but it might not blow you away if you're an audiophile. Honestly, for us, this wasn't a major issue, as most people use headphones for serious audio consumption. There's spatial audio support as well.

Cameras

A "Leica" in your pocket

This is where the Xiaomi 17 truly shines, especially with its "Essential Leica Imagery" tagline.

The main camera boasts an impressive 50MP  Light Fusion 950 image sensor with a wide f/1.67 aperture and OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), featuring a 23mm equivalent focal length.

For your selfies, the front camera also packs a 50MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and a 21mm equivalent focal length.

We took the Xiaomi 17 camera for a spin in BGC, capturing everything from street scenes to detailed close-ups, and here's what we found about its Leica camera system:

Main Camera (Day Time)

Our daytime shots with the Xiaomi 17's main camera were consistently crisp and color-accurate, capturing the vibrant energy of BGC beautifully.

Shot with Xiaomi 17's main camera during daytime

What really impressed us was how natural the blur/bokeh effect looked, even when we were just using the regular photo mode, and not the dedicated portrait mode. This gives photos a professional touch without any extra effort.

Shot with Xiaomi 17's main camera during the daytime

Indoor shots also came out really well for both brightly lit and dimly lit spaces. The Xiaomi 17 is able to maintain clarity and good color while showcasing its excellent low-light performance.

Shot with Xiaomi 17's main camera during the day, well-lit indoor setting

Shot with Xiaomi 17's main camera during the day (indoor)

Main Camera (Night Time)

This is where the Leica Summilux lens and Light Fusion 950 sensor of the Xiaomi 17 truly come alive. Our night shots were also crisp and color-accurate, which is a huge feat for smartphone photography.

Shot with Xiaomi 17's main camera at night time

Shot with Xiaomi 17's main camera at night time

The natural-looking blur/bokeh effect continued to impress, even in challenging low-light conditions.

Shot with Xiaomi 17's main camera at night time

Selfie Camera (Day Time)

For selfies, the Xiaomi 17's front camera also delivered crisp, color-accurate shots during the day.

Shot with Xiaomi 17's selfie camera during daytime

Shot with Xiaomi 17's selfie camera during golden hour

However, we noticed that achieving a natural-looking blur effect in regular photo mode wasn't as easy as with the main camera. When we switched to portrait mode for selfies, the bokeh sometimes looked a bit synthetic or artificial, which is something to keep in mind if you're big on blurred-background selfies.

Still, indoor selfies, even in low light, were (un)surprisingly good.

Shot with Xiaomi 17's selfie camera during the day, in an indoor setting

Whether we were shooting streetlights or dimly lit interiors, the Xiaomi 17's main camera handled it like a champ, proving its night photography prowess.

Selfie Camera (Night Time)

Just like in daylight, nighttime selfies on the Xiaomi 17 were crisp and color-accurate. We experimented with the fill light mode, and it certainly brightened up our faces in darker settings, making for clear shots.

Shot with Xiaomi 17's selfie camera at night time

However, we personally found that turning off the fill light gave our night selfies a more dramatic effect, which we actually preferred.

Shot with Xiaomi 17's selfie camera at night time

Again, the blur effect in portrait mode for selfies could still look a bit artificial, but the overall quality of the low-light selfies without it was quite good.

Shot with Xiaomi 17's selfie camera at night time

Video capabilities

Shot with Xiaomi 17's main camera at 8K resolution

For those who love shooting video, the Xiaomi 17 doesn't disappoint. It can record up to 8K on the main camera and 4K on the selfie camera, which is fantastic for capturing high-quality footage fit for vlogs or reels.

Based on our experience, it takes generally reliable videos with sharp detail, strong dynamic range, and capable stabilization. Low-light videos could be better, but most will enjoy using its 4K 30fps or even 60fps video mode in ideal or even some indoor dim lighting conditions.

Its thermals are also decent even after 10 minutes of recording.

Performance

To put its raw power into perspective, we ran several benchmarks. The Xiaomi 17 scored an impressive 2,739,628 in AnTuTu Benchmark, placing it among the top-tier devices and ensuring it handles demanding apps and multitasking with ease.

AnTuTu scire

In 3DMark Wild Life, it actually hit "MAXED OUT!", meaning its graphics power exceeded the test's limits, which is fantastic news for gamers.

Xiaomi 17's 3DMark Wild Life score

The Wild Life Stress Test showed a stability of 60.3%, with the best loop scoring 19,537, and the lowest loop achieving 11,788.

2026 flagship speed!

This indicates that while it starts with phenomenal graphics, it will intelligently reduce performance during very long, intense gaming sessions to manage thermal buildup. We did indeed notice thermal buildup towards the middle of the stress test.

Xiaomi 17's 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test score

Even then, performance remains very high. Geekbench 6 further confirmed its prowess with a CPU score of 3538 (single-core) and 10200 (multi-core), plus a GPU score of 22082, guaranteeing a fast, responsive, and graphically capable experience.

Xiaomi 17's Geekbench 6 score

Beyond raw power, the Xiaomi 17 boasts a massive 6,330mAh Xiaomi Surge Battery. In our testing, this translated to excellent endurance, with the phone lasting about two days of sporadic camera use, taking photos and videos, before needing a recharge. This kind of battery life is fantastic for a compact phone.

Wired charging time is also quick, using a 100W brick at about 40 minutes from 0 to 100%. It also has 50W magnetic wireless charging and 22.5W reverse wireless charging.

The Xiaomi 17 runs on HyperOS 3, delivering a smooth, lightweight, and highly optimized Android experience. The UI is clean, has a modern design with fluid transitions, improved widget support, and enhanced multitasking features.

It also has a pretty long software support. The brand claims that it has six (6) years of new HyperOS software updates.

Pros - Exceptional main camera, high-quality video recording, powerful performance, outstanding battery life, premium & comfortable design, robust built w/ IP68 dust and water resistance rating.

Cons:

Selfie Portrait Mode Bokeh: The blur effect can look a bit artificial in portrait mode for the front camera.

Sound Quality: While it has dual speakers, the sound felt a bit muffled and not as rich as what we have hoped for. (Though honestly, this wasn't a deal-breaker for us).

Xiaomi 17 Specs

Display: 6.3-inch Xiaomi Shield Glass protected 12-bit LTPO AMOLED screen w/ 120Hz refresh rate, 1920Hz PWM dimming, 2656 x 1220 resolution at 460 ppi

CPU: 4.6GHz 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 octa-core processor

GPU: Adreno

RAM: 12GB LPDDR5X

ROM: 256GB/512GB UFS 4.1

Back Camera: 50MP f/1.67 Light Fusion 950, w/ Hyper OIS + 50MP f/2.2  LEICA ultra-wide sensor + 50MP f/2.0 60mm LEICA floating telephoto w/ OIS + Leica Summilux lens + LED flash

Selfie Camera: 50MP f/2.0

Battery: 6,330mAh w/ 100W fast charging, 50W magnetic wireless charging, 22.5W reverse wireless charging

OS: Android 16 w/ HyperOS 3

Connectivity: WiFi 7, 5G, 4G, Bluetooth 5.4, OTG, NFC, GPS (L1 + L5), GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, NavIC, dual SIM (nano)

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic

Others: Ultrasonic In-Display fingerprint sensor, IP68 dust and water resistance, IR Blaster, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, 4x mic, USB-C, Colors: Alphine Pink, Ice Blue, Black, Venture Green

Dimensions: 151.1 x 71.8 x 8.06 mm

Weight: 191 g

Price: 49,999 (256GB), PHP 55,999 (512GB)

Verdict

Back design of Xiaomi 17

The Xiaomi 17 feels like a genuinely impressive device that lives up to its flagship promises. It balances high performance with a premium, user-friendly design and a camera system that truly stands out.

The Xiaomi 17 is clearly designed for the discerning user who wants a top-tier smartphone experience, especially when it comes to photography. If you're someone who values a fantastic main camera that can capture stunning, natural-looking photos in any light, and you appreciate a compact yet powerful device that won't slow you down, this phone is definitely worth considering.

While the selfie camera's portrait mode could use a little bit of refinement, its overall performance, impressive battery life, and premium feel make it a strong contender in the flagship market

It truly feels like having "Leica-in-pocket" capabilities, making it a great choice for anyone looking to elevate their mobile photography and overall smartphone experience.

Build/Design - 4.25

Multimedia Experience - 4.5

Cameras - 4.5

Performance - 4.5

Average - 4.44/5