Xiaomi 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro represent two flagship philosophies, Android innovation versus Apple refinement. This comparison matters because both devices redefine premium smartphones in 2025, with Xiaomi focusing on hardware breakthroughs like a dual-display design and faster charging, while Apple emphasizes seamless ecosystem integration and professional-grade imaging. Understanding their key differences helps us to choose the phone best suited for our needs.
1. Design and Display
Build and Feel:
Xiaomi 17 Pro uses Dragon Crystal Glass with an aluminum frame, giving it a premium feel with excellent durability. Its secondary rear display is a unique addition, allowing notifications, selfies, and quick interactions without unlocking the main screen. The iPhone 17 Pro features Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and back with an aluminum alloy frame, offering exceptional toughness and resistance against scratches and drops. While both phones feel premium, Xiaomi’s inclusion of a secondary display adds practical multitasking functionality that the iPhone lacks.
Display Quality:
Xiaomi 17 Pro sports a 6.3-inch LTPO AMOLED main display with 3500 nits peak brightness, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and a 120Hz refresh rate. Its secondary 2.7-inch display also supports HDR10+ and 120Hz. The iPhone 17 Pro has a 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and 120Hz refresh rate, with peak brightness at 3000 nits. Xiaomi offers slightly higher peak brightness and HDR capabilities, making it better for outdoor visibility and high-contrast content, while iPhone delivers highly accurate color reproduction and smoother color grading.
Verdict:
For overall innovation and brightness, Xiaomi 17 Pro has an edge, especially with its secondary display. The iPhone 17 Pro excels in color accuracy and durability, making it ideal for professional content viewing. Xiaomi is better for feature-rich display use, while iPhone appeals to users valuing precision and robustness.
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2. Specifications
Performance:
Xiaomi 17 Pro is powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with up to 16GB RAM, offering exceptional multitasking and gaming performance. The iPhone 17 Pro runs on the Apple A19 Pro with 12GB RAM, optimized for smooth iOS performance and efficiency. Xiaomi’s chipset is superior for sustained gaming and AI-heavy tasks, while iPhone offers a balanced experience with less power consumption and better long-term software support.
Battery and Charging:
Xiaomi 17 Pro has a 6300 mAh battery with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, including 22.5W reverse wireless. iPhone 17 Pro offers a 4252 mAh battery with 50% charge in 20–30 minutes via MagSafe or wired PD. Xiaomi clearly leads in capacity and fast charging versatility, ideal for heavy users, while iPhone emphasizes efficiency and ecosystem-optimized charging.
Verdict:
Xiaomi 17 Pro dominates in battery life and charging flexibility. iPhone 17 Pro, while smaller in capacity, maintains efficient battery management, but Xiaomi is better for power users needing long-lasting performance.
3. Camera
Main and Secondary Lenses:
Xiaomi 17 Pro uses a triple 50 MP camera system with periscope telephoto (5x optical zoom), ultra-wide, and Leica optics. iPhone 17 Pro has a triple 48 MP setup with 4x optical zoom and LiDAR scanner. Xiaomi offers higher resolution and versatile optical zoom, while iPhone benefits from sensor-shift stabilization, depth sensing, and optimized video quality.
Selfie Camera:
Xiaomi 17 Pro offers a 50 MP wide-angle selfie camera with HDR10+ support and 4K video at 60fps. iPhone 17 Pro has an 18 MP multi-aspect camera with SL 3D depth sensing for superior spatial video capture. Xiaomi excels in resolution and HDR video, while the iPhone provides better depth effects and ProRes capture for creators.
Verdict:
For photography versatility, Xiaomi 17 Pro is superior with higher resolution and telephoto capabilities. The iPhone 17 Pro shines in professional video capture and depth-aware imaging. Xiaomi is better for zoom and HDR, and iPhone for cinematic and depth-sensitive shots.
4. Pricing
Xiaomi 17 Pro is priced around $800, while iPhone 17 Pro costs approximately $1100. Xiaomi offers more advanced features like a secondary display, larger battery, and higher-resolution cameras at a lower cost, making it a better value for tech enthusiasts. iPhone, though more expensive, focuses on ecosystem integration, long-term software support, and premium material quality.
Disclaimer:
Prices are approximate and may vary based on country, region, and applicable taxes.
5. Key Upgrades and Differences
| Feature | Upgrade / Difference |
|---|---|
| Secondary Display | Xiaomi 17 Pro includes a 2.7-inch LTPO rear display (120 Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision) for quick interaction and notifications, a feature absent on iPhone 17 Pro. |
| Peak Brightness / HDR Capability | Xiaomi 17 Pro supports up to ~3500 nits brightness and full HDR10+ support; iPhone 17 Pro peaks ~3000 nits and supports HDR10 / Dolby Vision. |
| Battery Capacity & Charging | Xiaomi 17 Pro has a much larger 6300 mAh battery plus 100 W wired, 50 W wireless & 22.5 W reverse wireless charging. iPhone 17 Pro has ~4252 mAh, supports fast wired / wireless / MagSafe, but at lower rates. |
| Optical Zoom | Xiaomi offers 5× periscope optical zoom via a 50 MP telephoto lens. iPhone 17 Pro offers 4× optical zoom with its 48 MP telephoto. |
| Main Camera Resolution | Xiaomi uses three 50 MP sensors for wide, tele, and ultrawide; iPhone uses 48 MP sensors in its triple setup. |
| Software & Customization | Xiaomi runs Android 16 / HyperOS 3 with more system-level customization. iPhone runs iOS 26 with tighter integration across Apple ecosystem (though less user customization). |
| Memory Configuration & Storage Tech | Xiaomi offers up to 16 GB RAM and employs UFS 4.1 storage. iPhone offers up to 12 GB RAM with NVMe storage architecture. |
| Durability / Water Resistance | Xiaomi is rated IP68 up to 4 m for 30 min. iPhone 17 Pro improves to IP68 up to 6 m for 30 min. |
| Video & Professional Capture Features | iPhone supports ProRes, spatial (3D) video, Log formats tightly integrated with its ecosystem. Xiaomi supports 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR / LOG capture but lacks Apple’s ProRes/Log workflows. |
| Charging Ecosystem & Reverse Charging | Xiaomi adds reverse wireless charging, which iPhone 17 Pro lacks (or supports minimally). |
6. Conclusion
Xiaomi 17 Pro stands out with its secondary display, larger battery, 100W fast charging, and 50 MP triple cameras with Leica optics. iPhone 17 Pro offers ProRes video capture, LiDAR depth sensing, advanced iOS ecosystem features, and Ceramic Shield durability. Xiaomi targets users seeking hardware innovation and all-around power, while iPhone emphasizes content creation, system integration, and longevity.
Verdict:
Xiaomi 17 Pro is ideal for feature-driven users who want high performance, versatile cameras, and long battery life at a lower price. iPhone 17 Pro is suited for those prioritizing ecosystem benefits, premium build, and professional video/photo features.
Overall, Xiaomi 17 Pro offers better value and innovation.
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