Competition
The Xiaomi 17T Pro launches for €900 for the base 12GB/256GB memory configuration (up €100 from last year), which could have been somewhat competitive in the first few months of the year when most top-tier smartphones launched. This way, the 17T Pro would have undercut the competition, but it’s now up against more powerful devices.
However, we expect this phone to fall down the price ladder a few months after launch, as is usually the case, so the 17T Pro may still pose a serious threat to the competition.
The higher-end competition that goes against the Xiaomi 17T Pro is the OnePlus 15, Realme GT 8 Pro and the Honor 600 Pro. All three devices are priced right under €800. And even though the 17T Pro is no slouch with its Dimensity 9500 SoC, it’s no match for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip that powers the OnePlus 15 and the Realme. Take either of those if you are looking for the best raw performance combined with exceptional battery life and charging speed.
OnePlus 15 • Realme GT 8 Pro • Honor 600 Pro
On the other hand, the 17T Pro is probably a better pick when it comes to cameras, especially with that 5x-long native zoom. The Honor 600 Pro is perhaps the only one to match the 17T Pro’s camera prowess, despite the shorter 3.5x zoom reach. Xiaomi’s contender edges out the 600 Pro with longer battery life, though.
Samsung offers a considerably more affordable and popular alternative to the Xiaomi 17T Pro – the Galaxy S25 FE, priced at around €500. Unfortunately, the lower price tag compensates for the not-so-great camera experience (except the selfie), the small battery and painfully slow charging.
Samsung Galaxy S25 FE • Xiaomi 15T Pro • Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro Max • Xiaomi Poco F8 Ultra
Interestingly, the Xiaomi 17T Pro is also facing a bit of homegrown competition. The Xiaomi 15T Pro, which may be a last-year device, is still very much relevant and offers largely the same hardware as the newer model, sans the bigger battery and slightly more powerful SoC. It also charges faster, and it’s much cheaper. It really depends on how much you value battery life, because the 17T Pro’s 7,000 mAh battery really does make a difference.
Additionally, Xiaomi has the Poco X8 Pro Max and the Poco F8 Ultra as alternatives. Both have a great value proposition – the X8 Pro Max sells for €450, while the F8 Ultra sits under €700, which is exactly where we expect the 17T Pro to settle after a while. The X8 Pro Max offers a toned-down version of the Dimensity 9500 SoC with lower clock speed (Dimensity 9500s), which, if you don’t play games, wouldn’t matter as much, and houses a massive battery delivering longer battery life. The 17T Pro, on the other hand, carries a more powerful and versatile camera hardware with a dedicated 5x zoom. The display remains the same, though, and so does charging.
Bottom line is, take the X8 Pro Max for the longer battery life or pay extra for the 17T Pro with better camera hardware and more premium features like 50W fast wireless charging.
The Poco F8 Ultra gets closer to the 17T Pro, price and feature-wise. It edges out the 17T Pro with a more powerful SoC, lower price tag (for now), roughly the same camera hardware and display, and delivers better loudspeakers with a built-in subwoofer. The 17T Pro’s only advantage is battery life.
Verdict
As is the case with the Xiaomi T series for the past couple of generations, the initial pricing is what keeps us from giving an outright recommendation to buy the 17T Pro. But if you are here reading this a few months after the release, you might be looking at an excellent all-rounder with flagship-like features and hardware, but without the flagship-like pricing.
The 17T Pro once again impresses with great all-round camera hardware, excellent display, high-performance chipset and speedy wired and wireless charging. This year, the handset also stands out in the battery life race with solid endurance.
So if you are not in a hurry, wait for the dust to settle. But in case you are, Xiaomi has similar, but more affordable offerings.
Pros
Premium design, IP68 certification.
Large and bright OLED panel with Dolby Vision.
Excellent camera performance, stills and videos, impressive telephoto cam.
Fast wired and wireless charging.
Excellent battery life
Potent chipset.
Feature-rich HyperOS with 5 years of major OS updates.
Cons
No AF on the ultrawide; the selfie camera is just okay.
The 144Hz refresh rate is almost never utilized.
The wired charging is slightly downgraded.
Disappointing loudspeakers.
Pricey at launch.