Xiaomi skips '16' & releases Xiaomi 17 to take on iPhone 17

Just a little over two weeks after Apple launched its new iPhone 17 models, Chinese tech company Xiaomi followed suit with its own phone launch.

Their names? The Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max.

Features a dynamic back display

The new Xiaomi phones were announced during an annual speech by CEO Lei Jun on Sep. 25.

Here is the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max, which will hit the shelves on Sep. 27.

Here's what the Apple iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max look like.

What's different, however, is that Xiaomi's 17 Pro and Pro Max phones will feature a back display which users can customise with photos and dynamic wallpapers.

It is also capable of providing a range of notifications, such as flight details and music playback.

In a press release, the Chinese tech company said that the Xiaomi 17 Pro series "[embodied] Xiaomi's most revolutionary innovations."

The Xiaomi 17 has a starting price of RMB 4,499 (S$815) and will be available in 256GB and 512 GB variants.

The Xiaomi 17 Pro has a starting price of RMB4,999 (S$905) and will be available in 256GB, 512 GB and 1TB variants.

For the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, prices start at RMB 5,999 (S$1,087) and will be available in 512GB and 1TB variants.

Here's how the iPhone and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max compare in terms of some technical specifications.

Xiaomi taking on U.S. tech giants

Xiaomi's new phone line-up is part of its strategy to take on U.S.' tech giants such as Apple and Tesla, Bloomberg wrote.

During his speech, the Chinese company's CEO explicitly compared his phone products with those of Apple's, putting them head-to-head in terms of battery life, display quality, and camera capabilities.

“Apple users are welcome to buy Xiaomi phones,” he said at the product launch.

Apart from Apple's iPhones, Lei also pitted Xiaomi's electric vehicles against Tesla's, specifically Tesla's Model Y.

Top image via Xiaomi, Mrwhosetheboss / Youtube