Danny Weber
15:23 27-09-2025
© Apple / Xiaomi
Independent comparison of Xiaomi 17 and iPhone 17: cameras, performance, and battery life. Find out where fast charging, optical zoom, and speed win in 2025.
The flagship field just picked up two heavyweight contenders: Xiaomi’s 17 line (17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max) and Apple’s iPhone 17 family (17, 17 Air, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max). Pepelats News took a brand-agnostic look at both camps through the lens of cameras, performance, and battery life.
Xiaomi bets on bold styling and pragmatism. The Pro models add a second screen on the back for notifications and self-portraits, while the standard Xiaomi 17 stands out with a 7,000 mAh battery; the 17 Pro Max pushes capacity to 7,500 mAh. Charging is rated at 100 W wired and 50 W wireless, with universal 100 W PPS support. All three devices use 50 MP Leica-branded cameras and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 under HyperOS 3.
Apple counters with a more conservative, but tightly engineered approach. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max move to a new aluminum frame with a vapor chamber, displays reaching up to 3,000 nits, and the A19 Pro chip that, according to Apple, delivers up to 40% more performance versus the previous generation. The camera system features three 48 MP modules, including a tetraprism telephoto offering 4x and 8x optical zoom. Charging sees a practical bump: up to 50% in 20 minutes with a high‑power USB‑C adapter, and wireless charging rises to 25 W. Different philosophies are clear: Xiaomi leans audacious and utilitarian; Apple keeps the engineered polish front and center.
Here, the split is straightforward. Xiaomi’s 17 Pro and Pro Max emphasize HDR and low‑light shooting, with a trio of 50 MP cameras and new optics boosting detail and resisting glare; the rear screen assists with using the main camera for selfies. Apple’s 17 Pro and Pro Max play the versatility card: three 48 MP sensors, an improved tetraprism telephoto, up to 40x digital zoom, and an updated Photonic Engine aimed at more natural color and professional‑grade video options. If you need 100 mm portraits and a 200 mm reach with minimal quality loss, Apple has the edge. If you prefer punchy, high‑contrast imagery and effortless main‑camera selfies, Xiaomi is the better fit.
Both lineups sit among the performance leaders. Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the Xiaomi camp and A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Pro post top-tier numbers. Independent testing backs A19 Pro’s power and efficiency gains, though the gap to the best Android chips is not always dramatic. In daily use, the real difference shows up under sustained load: Apple benefits from the new vapor chamber, while Xiaomi’s larger bodies and assertive cooling help it hold performance steadily. It is less about peak scores and more about how long each device can sustain them.
Battery endurance is Xiaomi’s home turf. Even the base Xiaomi 17 with 7,000 mAh outlasts most rivals, and the Pro Max, with 7,500 mAh and 100 W charging, gets back on its feet fast. The iPhone’s advantage is a more compact, lighter build, with the Pro Max model offering a higher‑capacity battery in that lineup. In sheer runtime, though, Xiaomi looks more convincing.
If maximum battery life, ultra‑fast charging, and fresh touches like a rear display are high on your list, the Xiaomi 17 family feels like the right match. If you prioritize stable performance, a do‑it‑all camera with strong optical zoom and pro‑grade video, plus the iOS 26 and Apple Intelligence ecosystem, the iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max is the safer bet. Both sides made a big leap, but in 2025 the choice distills to a simple equation: for longer time away from the outlet, pick Xiaomi; for reference‑level photo and video and rock‑solid stability, pick iPhone.