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Xiaomi 17T Pro review: Is this 'flagship killer' worth Dh2,899?
The new Xiaomi 17T Pro, priced at Dh2,899, boasts a Leica 5x Telephoto Master. Let's find out if this sub-flagship device truly rivals premium smartphone cameras
- PUBLISHED: Tue 2 Jun 2026, 6:35 PM
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Xiaomi's T-series has always punched above its weight. The 15T Pro was widely regarded as one of the best sub-flagship options around, and the 17T Pro builds on that foundation with a faster processor, a significantly larger battery, and faster charging — incremental on paper, but the cumulative effect in daily use is hard to argue with. The price has gone up too, so the question is whether it's worth it. After ten days with the device, the answer is mostly yes.
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Camera: The telephoto earns its Leica badge
The headline feature is the Leica 5x Telephoto Master, and it largely delivers. Shooting the mosque from my balcony, the clarity at distance was genuinely impressive; sharp, detailed, and holding up well even from a distance where atmospheric haze can soften long-range shots. I compared the results directly against the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the device I roll with. The Xiaomi matched it on clarity. Where it fell slightly short was vibrancy; the iPhone's colour processing is richer, more realistic, out of the box. But here's where the Leica filters earn their keep: switching them on brings the image into a different aesthetic register entirely, one that some users will actually prefer over Apple's look.
What genuinely caught me off guard, though, was the macro. I wasn't expecting much — macro is often an afterthought on phones at this price — but the detail it pulled from close subjects was remarkable. More surprisingly, it performed well on distant objects too, which isn't something you typically get from a macro lens. It became the feature I kept returning to throughout the review period.
Here are some pictures I took using the Macro lens:
The ultra-wide is the weak link. Results were underwhelming compared to the telephoto's performance, and if you shoot a lot of architecture or landscape content, you'll notice the gap. It doesn't break the camera system, but it's worth knowing going in.
Battery: 7,000mAh is no joke
This is where the 17T Pro surprised me most consistently. The 7,000mAh battery, backed by Xiaomi's 16 per cent silicon-content cell technology, is not a spec you feel once and forget. It's something you stop thinking about, which is the highest compliment you can pay a battery. You don't really end a day in the red. Even on the heaviest days — long camera sessions, video playback, navigation, gaming — the phone will keep going. That kind of endurance is rare at this price point, and for users in the UAE where summer heat accelerates drain on most phones, it's a genuinely meaningful advantage.
Speaking of heat: the phone did warm up after a sustained balcony photography session, which is expected in this climate. It cooled down quickly, though, and never reached the point of discomfort or throttling.
Software and ecosystem
HyperOS is clean and intuitive. If you're considering the switch from iOS, the learning curve is gentler than it used to be, though that's partly because the broader Android ecosystem has matured. Xiaomi is also deepening its IoT play, and if you're already in or curious about a connected home setup, the ecosystem integration is a genuine draw rather than a gimmick.
Design and display
The 17T Pro is solidly built and looks the part, premium enough for a flagship price tag, though nothing here will stop conversations at a dinner table. The display does its job well for the price range, with eye-care certifications that matter more than they sound if you're logging long screen hours. For Dubai users squinting at phones in direct sunlight, outdoor visibility is adequate. Not class-leading, but decent.
Verdict
The smartphone market in Dubai is not easy to crack. Walk into any mall and it's a sea of iPhones and Samsung flagships — that's the competition, culturally and commercially. Xiaomi, and several other brands for that matter, have been chipping away at that for years.
At Dh2,899 for the base 256GB variant, or Dh3,099 and Dh3,399 for the 512GB and 1TB models respectively, it offers telephoto photography that competes with phones costing significantly more, battery life that redefines your expectations, and software that won't frustrate you. The ultra-wide lets the side down, and the price bump over its predecessor means it's no longer the obvious no-brainer it once was. But for what it does well, it does very well. The flagship killer earned its name.
Want to know more about your favourite tech products in the UAE? Check out the links below or click here to see Khaleej Times' coverage on technology.
