News

Xiaomi 17 Pro Max takes a jab at Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max

Unapologetically similar with Xiaomi 17 and 17 Pro in the roster

Published

September 25, 2025

Vincenz

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The Xiaomi 17 and 17 Pro series were all announced today in China.

Without context, this is much like any other phone announcement.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

But, in the grand scheme of things, Xiaomi’s latest announcement just came in a day after the awfully-named (and very mouthful) Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 unveiling at the Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii.

To make it more odd, the Xiaomi 15T and 15T Pro global launch in Munich, Germany was also just a day ahead prior to this Mainland-exclusive launch.

Even weirder, they skipped the 16 lineup altogether.

So… where’s the Xiaomi 16?

Xiaomi was upfront with this change.

Skipping “16” was their strategic shift to directly rival the recently-announced iPhone 17 lineup. And if you thought it stops there, you’re wrong.

For the first time in forever, Xiaomi debuts their very first “Pro Max” model (not replacing the already-existing Ultra flagship).

To make the upfront rivalry more dramatic, both models of the Xiaomi 17 Pro series looked like the iPhone 17 Pro on steroids.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Like Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, the all-new Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max all have a “plateau”-like camera bar up top.

However, Xiaomi takes it to the next level by placing a 2.7 / 2.9-inch 120Hz AMOLED display on that cutout.

GIF by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

It’s like the MIX Flip 2’s cover display was transplanted onto both the 17 Pro and Pro Max models.

Much like any other flip cover screen, it functions as a digital watch, a selfie mirror, even widgets that you can fiddle every once in a while.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Xiaomi even sells an optional Game Boy-like Retro Handheld case for CNY 299 just so you can play games on that mini screen.

Base, Pro, Pro Max

The main differentiating factor of the Xiaomi 17 and 17 Pro series are their display sizes: Both the base and Pro models have smaller screens at 6.3 inches. The difference? base has OLED, Pro has AMOLED.

Meanwhile. the 17 Pro Max, as expected, directly competes against Apple’s offering with its ginormous 6.9-inch AMOLED panel.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

That’s protected by Xiaomi’s Longjing Glass 3.0 whereas the other two only have the first-gen glass protection.

All of them have second-gen LIPO screen technology which makes their bezels ultra-narrow at impossibly 1.18mm.

There’s also 1.5K resolution, adaptive 1~120Hz refresh rate, DC Dimming, and 1 nit ultra-low to 3500 nits max brightness. DCI-P3 wide color gamut is highly-accurate backed by HDR10+ and Dolby Vision certifications.

Speaking of, there are the Dolby Atmos-powered stereo speakers complemented by Hi-Res Audio and Snapdragon Sound support.

The bigger the size, the bigger the battery is.

Obviously, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max possesses the largest at 7500mAh. Weird enough, the vanilla Xiaomi 17 has a bigger 7000mAh capacity than 17 Pro’s 6300mAh battery.

Phones can then be topped up via Xiaomi’s 100W HyperCharge + 50W wireless HyperCharge standard.

Lastly, all three models have triple rear 50MP Leica Camera + Summilux optics with varying differences in hardware:

	Xiaomi 17 Pro Max	Xiaomi 17 Pro	Xiaomi 17
Wide	50MP f/1.67 1/1.28” Light Hunter 950L sensor LOFIC High Dynamic technology	50MP f/1.67 1/1.28” Light Hunter 950L sensor LOFIC High Dynamic technology	50MP f/1.67 1/1.31” Light Hunter 950 sensor
Ultra-Wide	50MP f/2.4 102º OmniVision OV50M 5cm Super Macro	50MP f/2.4 102º OmniVision OV50M 5cm Super Macro	50MP f/2.4 102º
Periscope / Telephoto	50MP f/2.6 Super Concentration Periscope Telephoto 5x optical zoom 30cm Telephoto Macro 1/2″ Samsung GN8 Bottom Sensor	50MP f/3.0 Floating Periscope Telephoto 5x optical zoom 20cm Telephoto Macro	50MP f/2.0 Floating Telephoto — Samsung JN5 sensor
Selfie	50MP f/2.2 90º	50MP f/2.2 90º	50MP f/2.2 90º

Xiaomi 17 Pro Max Leica Super Periscope Telephoto

Xiaomi 17 Pro Max’s Super Concentration Periscope Telephoto

All phones can record up to 8K / 30fps with only the Pro series being able to shoot 4K / 120fps.

The Elite headliner

Even though Xiaomi has managed to pull off the XRING O1 as its first in-house chipset, it’s not the SoC that powers Xiaomi’s latest flagships.

And unlike last year where the realme GT 7 Pro headlined the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, Xiaomi’s 17 series rocks the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip first in line. That’s regardless if you get the basic or Pro variants.

And as coincidental as it seems, both Qualcomm and Xiaomi made the bold move of skipping numbers: Xiaomi 17 instead of Xiaomi 16; Elite Gen 5 instead of Gen 4 (although Elite 2 would have sounded so much better IMHO).

That’s paired by either 12 or 16GB of LPDDR5X memory together with up to 512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 storage options.

No one gets left behind as all phones boast IP68 water and dust resistance rating for utmost protection against dust, splashes, rain, and water immersion.

All of them also run Xiaomi’s latest HyperOS 3.0 with smarter and more powerful AI tools in mind.

Despite rivaling Apple’s latest iPhone 17, the new update makes pairing seamless to Apple devices. Regardless if it’s an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Pricing and Availability

The hero colors of the Xiaomi 17 are the Snow Mountain Powder and Icemelt Blue.

Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 17 Pro series highlights its Morino Green and Coldsmoke Purple colorways.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

If you want classic choice, they’re still being offered in Black and White.

Specific pricing and configurations are as follows:

Xiaomi 17

12+256GB = CNY 4499 (US$ 630 / EUR 540 / GBP 470 / SG$ 810 / MYR 2660 / PhP 36,280 / INR 56,000)
12+512GB = CNY 4799 (US$ 670 / EUR 570 / GBP 500 / SG$ 870 / MYR 2840 / PhP 38,700 / INR 59,730)
16+512GB = CNY 4999 (US$ 700 / EUR 600 / GBP 520 / SG$ 900 / MYR 2960 / PhP 40,315 / INR 62,220)

Xiaomi17 Pro

12+256GB = CNY 4999 (US$ 700 / EUR 600 / GBP 520 / SG$ 900 / MYR 2960 / PhP 40,315 / INR 62,220)
12+512GB = CNY 5299 (US$ 745 / EUR 635 / GBP 560 / SG$ 960 / MYR 3130 / PhP 42,730 / INR 65,950)
16+512GB = CNY 5599 (US$ 785 / EUR 670 / GBP 580 / SG$ 1010 / MYR 3300 / PhP 45,150 / INR 69,690)
16+1TB = CNY 5999 (US$ 840 / EUR 715 / GBP 625 / SG$ 1085 / MYR 3550 / PhP 48,380 / INR 74,670)

Xiaomi 17 Pro Max

12+512GB = CNY 5999 (US$ 840 / EUR 715 / GBP 625 / SG$ 1085 / MYR 3550 / PhP 48,380 / INR 74,670)
16+512GB = CNY 6299 (US$ 880 / EUR 750 / GBP 660 / SG$ 1140 / MYR 3720 / PhP 50,800 / INR 78,400)
16+1TB = CNY 6999 (US$ 980 / EUR 835 / GBP 730 / SG$ 1260 / MYR 4130 / PhP 56,440 / INR 87,110)

* These are just approximate, rounded-off price conversions

Again, global availability has not been announced. But looking at the past, Xiaomi always reveals their latest flagships to the world during the start of the year. We should expect them to hit international shelves by early 2026.

Related Topics:Xiaomi Xiaomi 17 Xiaomi 17 Pro Xiaomi 17 Pro Max

News

Smart showcases cloud gaming platform in partnership with Blacknut

Play over 1,000 titles straight on your smartphones

Published

August 14, 2026

GadgetMatch

Philippines mobile service provider Smart showcased the country’s first cloud gaming platform in partnership with Blacknut at the recent Philippine GameDev Expo (PGDX) 2026.

As the event’s main presenter, Smart highlighted its collaboration with the cloud gaming subscription service. Together with its value-packed Power All offers, the network provider is highlighting what the future of gaming can look like.

Smart and TNT subscribers can conveniently access Blacknut Cloud Gaming through a dedicated site. Here, they can play more than 1,000 premium console and PC-quality games on their smartphones.

That’s without the need for expensive gaming hardware or lengthy downloads. Weekly subscriptions start at just PhP 145 and can be conveniently charged to prepaid load following a simple OTP verification process.

To make the experience better, Smart also has Power All offers, which provide generous open-access data for today’s digital lifestyles. There’s a package for cloud and mobile gaming, streaming, content sharing, and productivity.

Gaming

Ghost of Yotei gets a story expansion in October

The Complete Edition comes with the expansion and a roguelike mode.

Published

August 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Ghost of Yotei is a classic RPG experience set in the same universe as its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima. In my opinion, Atsu’s journey of revenge feels a lot more fun than Jin’s battle to save his homeland. If you’re in the same boat, Ghost of Yotei is coming back on October 1 with brand-new content.

Without delving too much into spoiler territory, Ghost of Yotei has a conclusive ending. Rather than shoehorning a forced epilogue, Echoes of Sekigahara, the title of the upcoming story expansion, explores Atsu’s past.

As with Tsushima’s expansion, Echoes of Sekigahara features a new map with new enemies, weapons, and collectibles. It will be set in two different time periods.

Besides the story expansion, the upcoming update also has a new mode called Most Wanted, which Sucker Punch Production describes as their “spin on a roguelike.” The mode explores Atsu’s experience as a headhunter, feeding her with bounties and earnable perks.

The two new content expansions will come with in the upcoming Ghost of Yotei Complete Edition. The new edition, coming on October 1, will also come with the co-op Legends mode. It also has a few perks and customization options. The edition will sell for US$ 70.

If you already have the base edition, you can grab an upgrade for only US$ 15. If you don’t want to pay for the upgrade, the game is still getting a few minor tweaks.

News

HONOR isn’t taking the Robot Phone global — yet

The hardware is ready. The AI isn’t.

Published

August 13, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

The HONOR Robot Phone may have officially launched, but don’t expect this version to immediately make its way to global markets.

HONOR told media in Shenzhen that it currently has no plans to bring the current Robot Phone outside China. The main hurdle isn’t the hardware. It’s the phone’s AI experience, which is currently optimized for the Chinese market.

HONOR believes a future generation of the Robot Phone would be better positioned for a true global rollout once its AI experience is ready for markets outside China.

That doesn’t mean HONOR is abandoning the idea. Quite the opposite.

More than a phone with a moving camera

The Robot Phone is HONOR’s attempt to introduce a new idea to the smartphone market. It combines a smartphone with a 4DoF mechanical gimbal, allowing its camera to physically move.

Its AI features take that concept further. YOYO Robot Mode can use voice commands, gestures, and AI tracking to control the camera. It can also automatically pan and tilt to keep a person in frame during vlogs, livestreams, and video calls.

The phone also brings selected elements of ARRI Image Science and professional cinema workflows to its camera system. Its 200MP gimbal main camera supports 10-bit ARRI LogC3 recording, while ARRI Wide Gamut 3 and ARRI Looks give creators more control over their footage.

But HONOR isn’t treating the Robot Phone primarily as a volume-driving product.

The company says its bigger goal is to introduce a new concept to the smartphone market and see what kind of effect it can have.

That makes the Robot Phone an interesting experiment for HONOR. The hardware is already here. The company now wants to learn what happens when a smartphone can physically move, respond to its surroundings, and use AI to help operate itself.

For now, though, China is where that experiment begins.