Chinese tech giant Xiaomi is shaking things up by jumping straight from last year’s Xiaomi 15 to the brand-new Xiaomi 17 series. The move is clearly aimed at going head-to-head with Apple, which just launched its iPhone 17 line last week.
“The Xiaomi 17 series represents a generational leap in product capability,” said Lei Jun, founder, chairman and CEO of Xiaomi, in a social media post on Monday. He added that the new devices were “fully benchmarked against the iPhone and ready for head-to-head competition!”
A Faster Launch This Year
Unlike last year’s October release for the Xiaomi 15, the new series will launch later this month, giving it a much earlier debut. It’s only the second time Xiaomi has skipped a number since the original Mi 1 came out in 2011. The first time was in 2018, when it jumped from the Mi 6 to the Mi 8 to celebrate its eighth anniversary.
Three New Models
Lei also shared a post from company president Lu Weibing, who revealed three versions: Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. The naming mirrors Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup.
According to Lu, these phones will be the first in the world to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which was announced the same day. Posting from a Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, Lu called the series “the most significant upgrade” in Xiaomi’s numbered lineup and said the company wanted to break away from the “monotony” of today’s smartphones.
He described the Xiaomi 17 as “the most powerful standard flagship device ever”, promising big upgrades without raising prices. For context, the Xiaomi 15 started at 4,499 yuan (US$631), while Apple’s cheapest iPhone 17 starts at 5,999 yuan (US$842).
Pushing Into Premium Territory
Xiaomi has been moving into the high-end phone market for the past five years. In China, premium devices (priced at US$600 or more) are dominated by Apple, which held 54 percent of the market in 2024, followed by Huawei with 29 percent, according to Counterpoint Research.
Even so, Lu admitted, “Apple remains exceptional today, and the success of the iPhone 17 series is evident.”
Apple Still Strong in China
Demand for Apple’s new lineup is high. Within the first minute of pre-orders opening at 8pm last Friday, sales on JD.com already beat the first-day pre-order numbers for the iPhone 16, according to the e-commerce giant.
That total didn’t even include the iPhone Air, Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet, which has been delayed while the company works with Chinese regulators on its embedded SIM.
A Crowded Market
Competition is heating up fast in China. Just before Apple’s big reveal, Huawei introduced a second-generation trifold smartphone, making September a packed month for flagship launches.
ALSO READ: Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3, and SE 3 Launch September 19
