Introduction
Traditionally, Xiaomi “expands” on its main line of smartphones with the “T” family of similarly named devices a few months after the primary release. This year is no exception, with the Xiaomi 17T and 17T Pro now hitting the market. As usual, these “T” phones are a notch below their mainline siblings in terms of specs and features. There are some people one might call “major killers”, although this is a slightly outdated classification at this point.
These “T” phones generally attempt to provide an upper-midrange and even flagship-like experience in most aspects while keeping the cost as low as possible. Today, we have the vanilla Xiaomi 17T for review. It’s a very reasonably specced device, with a gorgeous 12-bit, Dolby Vision, 120Hz 6.59-inch AMOLED, a fantastic and versatile camera setup with a 5x dedicated periscope telephoto, a very large 6,500 mAh battery and a powerful, though not necessarily flagship-grade MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra chipset.
Xiaomi 17T specifications at a glance:
- Body: 157.6×75.2×8.2mm, 200g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 7i), plastic frame; IP68 dust resistant and water resistant.
- Display: 6.59″ AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, 3840Hz PWM, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 3500 nits (peak), 1268x2756px resolution, 19.56:9 aspect ratio, 460ppi.
- Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra (4 nm).
- Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS 4.1.
- OS/Software: Android 16, HyperOS 3.
- rear camera: wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.7, 23mm, 1/1.55″, 1.0μm-2.0μm, PDAF, OIS; telephoto: 50 MP, f/3.0, 115 mm, 1/2.76″, 0.64 µm-1.28 µm, PDAF (30 cm – ∞), OIS, 5x optical zoom; ultra wide angle: 13MP (12MP effective), f/2.2, 15mm, 120-degree, 1/3.06″, 1.12µm.
- Front Camera: 32 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (wide), 1/3.42″, 0.64μm-1.28μm.
- video capture: rear camera:4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, Gyro-EIS, 10-bit Rec. 2020, hdr10+, log; front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, HDR10+.
- Battery: 6500mAh; 67W wired, 50W PPS, PD3.0, 22.5W reverse wired.
- Connectivity: 5G; é SIM; Wi-Fi 6E; BT 6.0; NFC; Infrared port.
- various: Fingerprint reader (under the display, optical); Stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos).
Of course, some compromises were made here and there to keep costs down. Like, plastic middle frame, which is not very common on upper-mid devices these days. Still, it doesn’t make that much of a difference to the phone’s perceived build quality. Nor does it require compromising on stamina. The Xiaomi 17T still has Gorilla Glass on the front, a reinforced plastic back, and an IP68 ingress protection rating. For most users, this will be more than enough.
The same is generally true of the spec sheets presented here. All the basics seem to be well covered, and there’s nothing obviously missing or wrong that was immediately noticeable. The simple truth is that very few users really need a full flagship, and devices like the Xiaomi 17T make more sense in the premium market segment.
Of course, the devil is in the details, as they say, so keep following along as we take a deeper dive into what the Xiaomi 17T has to offer.
unbox
However, let’s start simple with the unboxing. The Xiaomi 17T comes in a very typical Xiaomi two-piece white cardboard box. It is very thick and hard. There’s a nice cradle inside to keep the actual phone safe during transit, and we believe said cradle is also made of cardboard, which deserves extra eco-friendly points.
Our review unit came with a 67W Xiaomi charger, which perfectly matches its maximum charging rating. The Xiaomi 17T claims to support standard PD 3.0 charging, but its own charger is still quite proprietary. It not only uses a USB Type-A to Type-C cable, but also has an extra pin inside. So, if you want the fastest charging speed then you have to keep an eye on both the charger and the cable.
In addition to the charger and cable, as we mentioned, our box also includes a nice, thick, semi-transparent, semi-soft TPU case. We believe it’s included in every box, even in the EU, where you probably won’t find a charger. A case is definitely a small bonus, but we appreciate the initiative because it means you can start using your shiny new phone right away without worrying about scratches.