Xiaomi 17T Series brings Leica 5x telephoto zoom and massive batteries to Android phones

These new Android phones go all in on zoom photography and battery life

Battery life looks like a major focus too, with a 7000mAh battery on the Pro and 6500mAh on the standard model. In Xiaomi's T series, the Pro model usually gets the flashy camera hardware while the regular one gets a toned-down experience. That changes with the Xiaomi 17T series. This year, Xiaomi is giving the duo one of its biggest upgrades in the camera department, along with other flagship specs and features. Xiaomi is bringing its long-range photography setup to the entire T lineup for the first time. The new Xiaomi 17T and 17T Pro both pack a Leica-backed 5x telephoto camera with up to 120x AI zoom. Both phones have a 50MP Leica 5x telephoto sensor with OIS and the ability to shoot macro photography at 30cm, so you can switch from detailed close-up shots to distant zoom shots. The company also introduced something called Leica Live Moment, basically a way for Xiaomi to make photos feel more alive rather than frozen in time. Instead of capturing a single still frame, the feature captures motion and expressions before and after the shot, making photos feel more cinematic. It works with all rear camera focal lengths and portrait mode. Users can mix those shots into collages that can be shared directly to social platforms, says Xiaomi. Under the hood, the 17T Pro is powered by MediaTek's new 3nm Dimensity 9500 chip, with the base model getting the Dimensity 8500-Ultra. Xiaomi says the Pro boasts a 32% CPU boost and a 33% GPU rise from the last generation. The regular model also sees a significant graphics boost, with MediaTek claiming a 25% increase in GPU performance. Another area Xiaomi is clearly trying to flex in is battery life. The Xiaomi 17T Pro comes with a huge 7,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, which Xiaomi claims is the biggest battery ever to be seen in an international Xiaomi flagship. The regular 17T is not far behind with its 6,500mAh. Both devices support fast charging, but the Pro takes it up a notch with support for 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, while the standard maxes out at 67W wired charging. Even more impressive than the battery's size is how Xiaomi managed to keep the phones relatively slim. The 17T Pro measures 8.25mm in thickness, while the 17T is a smidge thinner at 8.17mm. The displays also sound unusually ambitious for T-series devices. Xiaomi is debuting what it's calling "Xiaomi Vision Care," a set of features designed to reduce eye fatigue over long periods of viewing. Both phones are TÜV Rheinland quadruple eye-care certified, including Xiaomi's first TÜV Rheinland Intelligent Eye Care certification. The Pro model has a 6.83-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and 3500 nits peak brightness, while the standard 17T has a slightly smaller 6.59-inch 120Hz display. Of course AI is everywhere, too. Both phones are powered by Xiaomi HyperOS and Xiaomi HyperAI, and they come with Google Gemini integration and Circle to Search support. Xiaomi is also offering more benefits in eligible markets, including Google AI Pro trials, YouTube Premium, and Spotify Premium. Pricing is still under embargo at the time of writing, but we will update this article as soon as we have more information. Deep Blue, Deep Violet, and black are the color options for the Pro model, whereas the standard model comes in violet, Opal White, blue, and black.

Xiaomi's 17T Series Phones Feature Leica Tech and a New 5x Camera

Xiaomi has unveiled its latest T Series smartphones, the Xiaomi 17T and 17T Pro, both co-engineered with Leica. Both new smartphones feature triple rear camera arrays, although the specific cameras available differ. The more affordable, smaller 6.56-inch Xiaomi 17T features a 50-megapixel main camera with a Type 1/1.55 sensor and 23mm equivalent f/1.7 lens. Meanwhile, the 17T Pro, which has a 6.83-inch display, sports a larger Type 1/1.31 50MP sensor, likewise with a 23mm f/1.7 equivalent prime lens. On the telephoto side, things are identical between the two new smartphones, as each receives a brand-new Leica-branded 5x telephoto camera, a first for the T series. The 50-megapixel telephoto camera has 10x "optical-grade" zoom and macro capabilities. The periscope telephoto lens delivers a 115mm equivalent focal length and an f/3 aperture. The image sensor, as is typical in most smartphone telephoto camera systems, is fairly small. It's a Type 1/2.76 chip. Both phones also utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver extreme 120x zoom, dubbed AI Ultra Zoom. The 17T and 17T Pro also both feature the same 12-megapixel ultra-wide cameras. These feature even smaller Type 1/3.06 image sensors and a 120-degree field of view, equivalent to a 15mm lens. Leica's involvement with the Xiaomi 17T Series goes beyond the telephoto camera. Both main cameras feature Leica UltraPure optical designs alongside a hybrid Leica Summilux lens structure. Xiaomi and Leica's relationship is very strong these days, as evidenced by the Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi released earlier this year. To that end, the Xiaomi 17T and 17T Pro feature a new Leica Live Moment feature. This feature, supported across all focal lengths on both devices, captures a short video clip and then uses artificial intelligence to select the best moment to preserve as a high-quality still frame. It's like a burst photography feature that automatically picks the best frame from the burst. Leica's "signature aesthetic" is also featured throughout both devices, including in the Leica-infused portrait mode and Leica-styled photo borders. Xiaomi promises that Leica's visual style is preserved across all cameras. Speaking of video, both devices promise competitive motion picture features and performance. They each record 4Kp60 cinematic video, while the 17T Pro steps things up a bit with 4Kp120 recording and 8Kp30. They both record HDR10+ video as well. The Xiaomi 17T and 17T Pro run Android 16, feature Google Gemini, and are powered by MediaTek Dimensity chips. The 17T uses a Dimensity 8500 Ultra, while the more powerful 17T Pro uses a Dimensity 9500. The Xiaomi 17T will arrive in June, starting at €749 (about $870). The 17T Pro starts at €899 ($1,045). This is a big leap over the pricing for the prior generation, the 15T series. The 15T Pro, a great smartphone, was around $900. Image credits: Xiaomi. In-person photos and additional reporting by Kate Garibaldi.