Xiaomi 17T Packs 5x Periscope, Pro Model Gets 7,000mAh Battery

Key Takeaways

• The Xiaomi 17T now includes a 50MP 5x periscope lens, up from the 2x telephoto on last year's 15T
• The 17T Pro features a 7,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, 27% larger than its predecessor
• Both models run on the Dimensity 8500 chipset with claimed 25% GPU performance gains

Xiaomi skipped the number 16 for its T-series, jumping straight to the 17T and 17T Pro. Both phones bring meaningful upgrades over the 15T lineup. The standout change is a 5x periscope telephoto on the base model, something typically reserved for flagship devices.

5x Periscope Comes to the Mid-Range

The Xiaomi 17T's camera system represents the biggest upgrade. It now features a 50MP 5x/115mm periscope telephoto lens, replacing the 50MP 2x/46mm module from the 15T. Xiaomi claims the new sensor supports 10x "optical-grade" zoom through in-sensor cropping. The telephoto can also shoot macro shots from just 30cm away.

The rest of the camera setup includes a 12MP ultra-wide with 120-degree field of view and a 32MP selfie camera. Both the 17T and 17T Pro share identical telephoto, ultra-wide, and selfie cameras. The Pro model gets a different main camera sensor, though the source did not specify its resolution.

Display and Design Changes

The base 17T shrinks to a 6.59-inch display, down from 6.83 inches on the 15T. It's a 120Hz OLED panel with 1268p+ resolution and 3,500 nits peak brightness. The display uses 3,840Hz PWM combined with DC dimming for flicker control. Both phones feature 12-bit panels capable of displaying 68 billion colors.

The 17T Pro keeps the larger 6.83-inch screen size with slightly higher 1280p+ resolution. It runs at 144Hz instead of 120Hz and can dim down to 1 nit for dark room use. Both displays are protected by Gorilla Glass 7i.

Battery Capacity Jumps Significantly

The 17T houses a 6,500mAh battery, up 1,000mAh from last year's 15T. This explains the thicker body at 8.2mm compared to 7.5mm previously. It supports 67W wired HyperCharge and 50W USB PPS charging. You can also share power with other devices via 22.5W reverse charging.

The 17T Pro goes bigger with a 7,000mAh silicon-carbon battery featuring 16% silicon content. That's 1,500mAh more than the 15T Pro. Charging speeds hit 100W wired via HyperCharge or USB PPS, plus 50W wireless. The Pro is slightly thicker at 8.3mm (up from 8.0mm) and 9g heavier.

Dimensity 8500 Powers Both Models

Both phones run on MediaTek's Dimensity 8500 chipset, built on a 4nm process. It uses an all-big-core CPU design with eight Cortex-A725 cores paired with a Mali-G720 MC8 GPU. Xiaomi claims 25% higher peak GPU performance compared to the Dimensity 8400 in last year's models.

Memory configurations include 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM running at 9,600Mbps with 256GB or 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage. Xiaomi's 3D IceLoop cooling system with a vapor chamber handles thermal management.

What the Upgrade Means for Buyers

The periscope telephoto on the base 17T is the notable shift here. Previous T-series phones stuck with 2x telephoto lenses, limiting zoom capabilities. A 5x optical module typically appears on phones costing significantly more. Combined with the larger battery, the 17T looks like better value than its predecessor.

The 17T Pro's 7,000mAh battery addresses a common pain point for heavy users. Silicon-carbon cells pack more energy density without proportionally increasing size, though the phone did get thicker. The combination of 100W wired and 50W wireless charging means you can top up quickly regardless of method.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main camera upgrade on the Xiaomi 17T?

The Xiaomi 17T now features a 50MP 5x periscope telephoto lens, replacing the 2x telephoto from the previous 15T model.

How big is the battery in the Xiaomi 17T Pro?

The 17T Pro has a 7,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, which is 27% larger than the 5,500mAh cell in the 15T Pro.

Does the Xiaomi 17T support wireless charging?

No, the base 17T only supports 67W wired charging. The 17T Pro includes 50W wireless charging.

What processor powers the Xiaomi 17T series?

Both the 17T and 17T Pro use MediaTek's Dimensity 8500 chipset with an all-big-core design featuring eight Cortex-A725 cores.

Why did Xiaomi skip the number 16 for the T-series?

Xiaomi aligned the T-series numbering with its main flagship line, which also skipped 16 to jump to 17.

Source: GSMArena.com / Peter