Xiaomi 17 Pro Max wants to be your next iPhone 17 Pro Max alternative, but can it be?

Xiaomi is about to pull the curtain on the Xiaomi 17 series in China, and we already know what the Pro models will look like. This year, things are a bit different: the Ultra is gone, replaced by a brand-new Pro Max model. And yes, that name is no accident – it’s clearly aimed at Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Why 17 and not 16?

What more is there? A fresh look

Xiaomi is ditching the circular camera island of the 15 Ultra and the square one of the 15 Pro. In comes a massive edge-to-edge rectangular camera module on the back – oh, and it comes with a second display.

Under the hood

Cameras: battle of the lenses

Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max brings an upgraded camera system:

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is expected to answer with:

The “same-same but different” stuff

At the flagship level, a lot of the basics overlap: expect both phones to be tough, with IP68 ratings, bright OLED screens, silky 120Hz refresh rates, and crazy peak brightness.

 
But availability is the bigger issue. Apple? Walk into any tech store, done. Xiaomi? Mostly China, maybe a global rollout at MWC next year, and if you are in the US, importing is often your only option. Not scary, but you’ll need to make sure the phone plays nice with your carrier’s bands.

So yeah, as much as Xiaomi wants to take on Apple, the real fight is only happening in its home market right now. In the US, Apple’s dominance is unshakable – it’s going to take way more than a flashy second screen or monster specs to change that. But in China, where Apple faces its toughest competition, Xiaomi has a real shot at climbing to the top (and the latest stats and forecasts actually back that up).

At the end of the day, this whole move is about Xiaomi stepping into the ring with Apple more directly than ever, aiming to grab a bigger slice of the premium market. It’s clear Xiaomi doesn’t see Samsung as much of a threat in China anymore, so it ditched the whole Ultra rivalry and went straight for the jugular with the Pro Max.

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