iPhone 17 launch effect: Mi borrows ‘Pro Max’ naming for Xiaomi 17 mobile

Xiaomi 17, not Xiaomi 16, is the company's next flagship lineup. Here's what it could bring.

Xiaomi's next flagship series will be called the Xiaomi 17 series, meaning the company is skipping the number 16 for its flagships. The upcoming lineup, expected to include three models, will be named the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. This naming is highly reminiscent of the iPhone 17 series, which includes the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the company itself has acknowledged this in a post on Weibo, saying that it wants to compete with the iPhone 17 on equal footing.

Here's what we know about the Xiaomi 17 series so far

Xiaomi 17 will have three models. (Xiaomi)

By Shaurya Sharma

Shaurya Sharma is the Technology Editor at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he oversees technology coverage across digital and social platforms. With over eight years of experience across editorial, video production, and digital media, his work focuses on smartphones, AI, consumer gadgets, and shaping audience-first content strategies for modern tech consumers.

He began his career in 2018 as a fashion cinematographer before turning his lifelong passion for technology into a profession. From spending his childhood immersed in tech magazines, video games, and the latest gadgets to covering the global consumer tech industry today, technology has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Over the years, Shaurya has worked with some of India’s leading media organisations, including CNN-News18, Sportskeeda, and Guiding Tech, where he led video initiatives that combined strong editorial storytelling with engaging visual and social-first execution.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Manipal University, Shaurya has reviewed hundreds of products across categories including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and wearables. Beyond work, he is passionate about animal welfare, environmental causes, and automobiles, particularly turbo-petrol cars

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Xiaomi 17 series is going to be announced later this month, and it is confirmed to debut with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which is set to be the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

The brand itself admits that its naming convention is inspired by Apple, and it wants to compete directly with the iPhone 17 series. In fact, the Pro Max model name is also something that Xiaomi is borrowing, considering Apple has been pushing the Pro Max model for a while now.

The company claims that the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max will offer the strongest imaging in Xiaomi's history. Reports also suggest that the Xiaomi 17 could feature a 6.3-inch screen, sporting a triple-camera system with 50MP Leica-tuned optics, the Xiaomi 17 Pro could offer several upgrades over the 17, and the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max could come with even more upgrades.

What Xiaomi’s president said on Weibo (translated)

“Everyone has been waiting for a long time. The brand-new Xiaomi 17 series will meet you this month. This will be the most significant upgrade in the history of Xiaomi’s number series, and its release has been moved up by one month compared to the previous generation.

The Xiaomi 17 series represents five years of Xiaomi’s efforts to move upmarket. It marks a key transformation for the number series, with a cross-generational leap for the entire product lineup:

Xiaomi 17 series includes three models – Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max.

They will be the first in the world to launch with the 5th-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite platform.

Xiaomi 17 is the most powerful standard flagship in history, fully upgraded across the board, with no price increase.

Xiaomi 17 Pro is Xiaomi’s most refined, small-size, high-tech imaging flagship; Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is Xiaomi’s most powerful peak imaging flagship ever.

Five years ago, we began our journey towards premiumisation, learning from the greatest competitor, steadfastly benchmarking against the iPhone. This year, Apple remains formidable. The success of the iPhone 17 series is there for all to see, but we are still very confident that we can truly compete with the iPhone on equal footing.