New Delhi: Xiaomi announced its much-hyped Xiaomi 17 flagship series this month, bypassing the entire 16 generation. This is only a few days after Apple launched its iPhone 17 line as an indication that the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is on a daring branding mission. The company indicated that the new lineup will be a bold step towards the five-year process of positioning itself in the high-end smartphone market.
The Xiaomi 16 had been circulating in leaks and rumours over the past few months, but Xiaomi president Lu Weibing has since confirmed that the brand is going directly to the 17 series. When asked about the reasoning behind the decision in a Weibo post, he said that it would place Xiaomi squarely against Apple in terms of the numbering of the flagship phones, putting it directly in direct competition with the iPhone 17 family.
New branding strategy
It has changed its official profile picture on Weibo to reflect the back design of an unofficial device, which is a testament to the introduction of the 17 series. Similarly to the Xiaomi 15 series of 2020, the new one will likely be released soon after Qualcomm releases its new flagship chipset, Snapdragon 8 Elite 5. This implies that the Xiaomi 17 smartphones will be one of the first phones that operate the next-generation processor.
Lineup and key models
The Xiaomi 17 will have three models, including the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, according to tipster Abhishek Yadav. It is assumed that the Pro will be a small flagship, whereas the Pro Max will be available to those who want a bigger display and compete directly with the iPhone 17 Pro Max by Apple. By having this collection, Xiaomi is sending a strong message that it will be entering the high-end smartphone competition against Apple.