{"id":227562,"date":"2026-01-11T02:00:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T02:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/227562\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T02:00:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T02:00:06","slug":"a-xiaomi-17-air-prototype-with-dual-rear-cameras-and-a-frame-thinner-than-the-iphone-air-gets-pictured-was-likely-canceled-due-to-terrible-sales-of-sleek-flagships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/227562\/","title":{"rendered":"A Xiaomi 17 Air Prototype With Dual Rear Cameras And A Frame Thinner Than The iPhone Air Gets Pictured, Was Likely Canceled Due To Terrible Sales Of Sleek Flagships"},"content":{"rendered":"

The experiment that Apple, Samsung, and others carried out by launching slim flagships like the iPhone Air<\/a>\u00a0and Galaxy S25 Edge<\/a>\u00a0turned out to be a colossal failure, prompting Chinese competitors like Xiaomi to pull the development plug on their variants for fear of meeting the same fate. However, there is always a slip-up from one of these phone makers that ends up leaking what their version of a premium smartphone with an astoundingly thin frame would have looked like. On this occasion, a leakster has shared a Xiaomi 17 Air prototype, revealing that the device would have flaunted a dual-rear-camera setup coupled with a chassis that\u2019s thinner than the iPhone Air.<\/p>\n

A silicon-carbon battery would likely power the Xiaomi 17 Air\u2019s innards to help set it apart from the iPhone Air and the rest of the competitors<\/p>\n

On X, Ice Universe has shared a video of the Xiaomi 17 Air\u2019s frame from all angles, showing that the device in question would be rocking an unbelievably thickness of 5.5mm while still being able to house two rear cameras. Irrespective of the kind of pictures and videos the iPhone Air can capture with refined computational techniques and a single primary sensor, having an additional camera will always make a world of difference. The display measures 6.59 inches, with a pronounced rear bump and visible wireless charging placement.<\/p>\n

Xiaomi has garnered a reputation for shamelessly copying Apple\u2019s product designs and software elements, so it is no surprise that this sleek flagship looks almost similar to the iPhone Air. Like other top-end Chinese smartphones, the Xiaomi 17 Air would likely be equipped with a silicon-carbon battery, with some additional marketing campaigns from the company possibly made to show that the device outlasts its direct competition, like the iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge, while also duking it out with the iPhone 17 models.<\/p>\n

Breaking
This was a prototype of the Xiaomi 17 Air that was eventually canceled. It featured a 6.59-inch display and an ultra-thin 5.5 mm body. It actually looked quite good, but unfortunately the project was dropped.<\/p>\n

As everyone can see, the iPhone Air hasn\u2019t been a strong\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/wsGLlrpGWy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) January 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

However, to remind readers, in a previous battery drain test<\/a>, Apple\u2019s impressive software optimization was displayed in full when the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, which has a 55 percent larger battery than the cell found in the iPhone 17 Pro Max<\/a>, only lasted for 5 minutes longer than the latter. The tipster says that, perhaps at the right time, smartphones like the Xiaomi 17 Air will be revived. After all, too many compromises are being made by manufacturers in their pursuit of prioritizing aesthetics, and we\u2019ve all witnessed how well these have sold.<\/p>\n

The iPhone Air, which initially sold out in China<\/a>, had its popularity dwindle in just a few weeks, with its shipment forecast lowered by one million units<\/a>\u00a0due to poor sales, to eventually having its production slashed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

News Source: Ice Universe<\/a><\/p>\n

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