Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi is jumping straight to its Xiaomi 17 series, skipping the Xiaomi 16 line entirely in a bold move to take on Apple’s new iPhone 17. Founder and CEO Lei Jun called the new range “a generational leap” and said the devices were “fully benchmarked against the iPhone and ready for head-to-head competition.”
The launch has been moved forward to later this month, instead of October as with last year’s Xiaomi 15. It’s only the second time Xiaomi has skipped a number since its debut Mi 1 in 2011; in 2018 it went from Mi 6 to Mi 8 to mark its eighth anniversary.
Company president Lu Weibing revealed three models — Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max — mirroring Apple’s naming style. In a post sent from a Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, Lu announced the phones would be the first in the world to use Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, unveiled the same day. He promised the “most significant upgrade” yet for Xiaomi’s numbered flagships, calling the standard Xiaomi 17 “the most powerful standard flagship device ever” and noting there would be no price hike from last year’s starting point of 4,499 yuan (US$631). By comparison, Apple’s iPhone 17 starts at 5,999 yuan.
The move underscores Xiaomi’s continued push into China’s premium segment — devices costing US$600 and up — where Apple held a 54% share in 2024 and Huawei 29%, according to Counterpoint Research. Lu admitted Apple “remains exceptional” and noted strong demand for the iPhone 17, with JD.com reporting first-minute pre-orders surpassing last year’s iPhone 16 on its platform.
The rivalry comes amid intense competition. Huawei had already rolled out a new second-generation trifold phone days before Apple’s launch, while Apple postponed the release of its ultra-thin iPhone Air to resolve Chinese regulatory issues over its embedded SIM.
