By Bettina V. Roc, Associate Editor
GLOBAL TECH BRAND Xiaomi just unveiled its Xiaomi 17T Series phones, the 17T and 17T Pro, updating its T Series line after lower than a yr. The series sits in that middle ground between midrange and high-end flagships, promising strong performance at a comparatively accessible price point.
And the bottom model Xiaomi 17T, which we’ve been testing for a number of weeks now, encapsulates that philosophy perfectly. Call it what you’ll: premium midrange, almost flagship, flagship killer. With the worldwide memory chip crunch already driving up device prices (and expected to proceed doing so inside the following yr or so), the Xiaomi 17T hits that sweet spot between price and performance.
CAMERA SYSTEM
First is the Xiaomi 17T Series’ key selling point: the triple camera system co-engineered with Leica Camera AG. The 2 brands’ long-running imaging partnership has entered its fifth yr, and for this T Series refresh, they brought Leica’s 5x telephoto camera to all models within the lineup.
Except for the 50-megapixel Leica 5x periscope telephoto lens with telemacro capabilities, rounding out the triple rear camera array are the 50MP most important lens and a 12MP ultra-wide camera.
At the same time as someone who loves cameras, I prefer testing smartphones using basic shooting modes as this lets me assess ease of use. Smartphones positioned as imaging-first devices mustn’t need extensive tinkering with settings to point out what they’re fabricated from.
The Xiaomi 17T does just that and more. The most important camera is a 50MP lens with a Light Fusion 800 image sensor, and is great for all-around, point-and-shoot photography. It captures great and crisp detail, especially during daytime and in good lighting, and the phone renders colours well — barely enough contrast for that pop without feeling artificial. The built-in Leica color modes, Leica Vibrant and Leica Authentic, also bring that distinct aesthetic to shots.
Leica Live Moment, a feature introduced on this series, is an important addition, bringing stills to motion without sacrificing image quality.
Where this phone really shines is the 50MP Leica 5x telephoto camera. Few phones at this price range offer 5x optical zoom, and with the rapid development of smartphone imaging technology, I personally feel that the flexibility to zoom in without having to sacrifice quality becoming more of a must have and fewer of a nice-to-have.
Using the 5x periscope telephoto, the Xiaomi 17T shoots photos with stellar clarity and minimal vignetting. The telemacro lens delivers excellent subject-background separation for many who want that bokeh but can even capably handle deeper depth of field. Optical image stabilization also helps with the standard shake when shooting telephoto. These are true even as much as 10x digital zoom, but beyond that, details understandably soften.
For all three rear lenses, there may be a little bit of drop-off when shooting in low light or less ideal conditions, especially when snapping moving subjects. The phone’s imaging technology compensates for these by smoothing out textures, but I saw noticed chromatic aberration at times once I channeled my inner pixel peeper (which one really shouldn’t do with phones, but I digress).
Those that wish to maximize these Leica cameras can even shoot with Pro Mode, which offers extensive setting controls. The Camera app also has various Scene shooting modes like Stage and Silhouette with tuned settings.
BATTERY AND PERFORMANCE
The Xiaomi 17T sports 6,500mAh silicon-carbon battery that supports 67-watt HyperCharge wired charging. The adapter is included in-box and might get the phone to a full charge in lower than an hour.
Battery life is superb on this phone. Even while trying out the camera and using mobile data to look at videos, doomscroll, and for some light gaming, it has enough juice for a day and more. With usual use, I believe that you just’d have the ability to squeeze out greater than 24 hours’ value of power in case you aren’t really attempting to get these batteries to expire like I used to be during testing.
The phone’s MediaTek Dimensity 8500-Ultra chip coupled with the 12GB RAM make for a really smooth and speedy performance. It’s capable of handle multitasking well, including light gaming. It also doesn’t heat up that much (yes, even on this weather).
It runs on HyperOS 3 based on Android 16 with Google Gemini and their Circle to Search feature, and in addition comes with other AI features.
Bloatware can be minimal — and that’s all the time a plus in my book.
DISPLAY AND BUILD
For the primary time within the T Series, Xiaomi is offering two phone sizes. The bottom model Xiaomi 17T is the compact version and comes with a 6.59-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of as much as 120Hz.
With 3,500 nits peak brightness, HDR10+ Dolby Vision, and DCI-P3 color gamut, the screen offers vibrant and sharp details with accurate color rendition, even under brilliant daylight. Navigating between apps and thru menus is smooth and snappy, even when not all apps support 120Hz.
The Xiaomi 17T also features eye-care technology via the Xiaomi Eye Care Shield with various TÜV Rheinland certifications, making the user experience (literally) easy on the eyes.
The phone itself may be very easy on the eyes. The test unit got here within the Violet colorway, which to me leans more toward lilac. It includes a smooth, matte finish and thin bezels.
It also weighs just 200 grams and is 8.17-millimeter thin with no case, making it easy to carry with only one hand, and slip into pockets or most reasonable bag sizes. The in-hand feel is great — barely enough weight for stability, but light enough to attenuate strain. With the graceful frame, it will probably get a bit slippery, but the marginally rounded edges help with the grip.
The Xiaomi 17T still comes with the square camera island within the top-left corner, which protrudes somewhat when used with no case.
The stereo speakers’ placement helps with the audio quality on this phone. It delivers punchy and clear sound, even with the quantity turned up.
So, must you buy the Xiaomi 17T? Priced at P33,999 for the 12GB+256GB variant and at P37,999 for the 12GB+512GB model, this can be a smartphone value looking into in case you’re on the lookout for a tool with stellar cameras, strong performance, and huge battery life. It will probably hold its own even against higher-end, dearer flagships, delivering great value for money.
The Xiaomi 17T is now available within the Philippines, with the brand offering various promos and deals.