Xiaomi 17

 

3rd best phone of 2025 (~$1050)

GSMCritic Take: This compact flagship pairs a sharp 120Hz LTPO OLED display with top-tier performance and long-lasting battery, offering a premium pocketable experience, though sustained workloads can cause heat and throttling.

Reviews  

Overall phone rating and the reviews that impact it.

90

1st review by

90

6th review by

89

2nd review by

90

GSMCritic Score

80

5th review by

90

3rd review by

100

4th review by

* how the score is calculated?

Last update: 2026-02-28

Pros

Human Checked Mobile Phone Pros&Cons
Camera
Quad 50MP Camera System: Imaging hardware includes four 50MP cameras providing a versatile setup on paper.
Strong Main Camera: Primary sensor consistently delivers good and dependable results with nuanced image processing.
Competent Rear Camera Trio: Rear cameras as a whole are described as capable and very competent.
Upgraded Selfie Camera: Front camera is upgraded and characterized as dependable.
Performance
Elite Peak Performance: System-on-chip delivers blisteringly powerful, top-tier performance with extremely fast real-world operation.
Design
Compact Flagship Form Factor: Genuinely pocketable compact design while still positioned in the flagship segment.
Premium Build Quality: Chassis construction uses premium materials and refined assembly that communicate durability.
Large Battery for Size: Integrates an XXL-class battery in certain variants, unusually large for a compact phone.
Fast In-Display Fingerprint Scanner: In-display fingerprint sensor is both quick and accurate.
Display
120Hz LTPO OLED Display: Features a vivid, sharp LTPO OLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate and dynamic refresh behavior.
Strong Display Brightness: Screen brightness is consistently described as strong with impressive color and clarity.
Battery
Excellent Battery Life: Endurance is described as excellent or superb, delivering reliable all-day use with headroom to spare.
Blazing Fast Wired Charging: Wired charging is described as blazing fast and super-fast when used with a compatible adapter.
Versatile Charging Support: Overall charging capabilities are considered super-fast and versatile.
Software
Five Years of Major Updates: HyperOS 3 comes with a commitment of five years of major software updates.
Feature-Rich Software: HyperOS 3 is described as feature-rich on paper.
Audio
Quality Stereo Speakers: Stereo speakers receive praise for their sound quality.
Cons
Human Checked Mobile Phone Pros&Cons
Camera
Ultrawide Camera Downgrade: Ultrawide module has lower image quality, a narrower field of view, and no autofocus.

Limited Telephoto Reach: Telephoto performance is limited, with suggestion that a 3x zoom would have been preferable.

Primary Camera Hierarchy: Main camera is notably better than the other modules, indicating uneven camera performance.

Performance
Heavy Thermal Throttling: Processor throttles significantly under sustained workloads, causing major performance reduction.

Noticeable Heat Generation: Extended stress produces high waste heat and the device can become warm even during large downloads.

Design
Slippery Exterior Finish: Exterior finish can feel slippery in hand despite premium construction.

Display
Limited Luminance Range: Display could improve at both peak brightness and minimum dimming levels.

No Secondary Rear Display: Omits the secondary rear display found on a related variant.

Battery
No Qi2 Magnetic Support: Wireless charging lacks Qi2 magnetic alignment support.

Software
Software Oddities: HyperOS 3 experience contains oddities and is described by some as a chore to use.

Shorter Update Support Than Rivals: Five-year update commitment is considered shorter than what some competitors offer.

Lack of Transparency: Concerns are raised about a lack of transparency in the software ecosystem.

Availability
Regional Battery Disparity: Global edition ships with a smaller battery than the Chinese market model.

No Charger in Box: Retail package does not include a charger.

Rankings


ranking-point The Best Phone Of 2025: #3


ranking-point The Highest Optical Zoom Of 2025: #35

ranking-point The Largest Screen Size Of 2025: #60

ranking-point The Smallest Screen Size Of 2025: #3

ranking-point The Lightest Phone Of 2025: #19

ranking-point The Thinnest Phone Of 2025: #25

ranking-point The Fastest Charging Speed Of 2025: #6

ranking-point The Highest Screen To Body Ratio Of 2025: #8

ranking-point The Cheapest Phone Of 2025: #46