Xiaomi 17 Pro Max v iPhone 17 Pro Max, who copied who?
The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, released in China, closely resembles the iPhone 17 Pro Max with a unique secondary screen, and despite its similar naming strategy to Apple’s, early reviews suggest it may be a superior choice. Picture: stringer / IC photo / Imaginechina via AFP
Image: stringer / IC photo / Imaginechina via AFP
The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max was released last week in China, and it looks incredibly similar to the latest high iPhone, which incidentally is also called the 17 Pro Max.
But who copied who?
The short answer is Xiaomi. The phones from the two different manufacturers look almost identical, except that the Chinese brand has a secondary screen alongside the camera on the back.
Aside from that, they’re exactly the same.
Xiaomi 17 Pro Max: A Superior Choice Over Apple
In fact, Xiaomi’s previous offering was the Xiaomi 15 series, so they went ahead and completely skipped their 16 models to align with the Apple naming.
It’s shameless really, and quite astounding that they have not yet been sued by Apple.
What’s not shameless though, is that the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max seems to be an objectively better phone according to early reviews.
Xiaomi 17 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: A Battle of Features and Value
The big difference between the phones, aside from the operating systems (iOS v Android), is that groundbreaking new secondary screen next to the rear camera on the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max.
This allows the user to see exactly what the main camera has in frame while taking a selfie.
The traditional front-facing camera used for selfies is therefore rendered redundant by comparison.
This feature alone should pique the interests of any person wanting to buy the latest and greatest phone on the market.
While most of the other features of the phones are quite similar, the Xiaomi is a clear winner in another important department - battery life. While the iPhone Pro Max has the best battery of any iPhone with a 4832mAh cell allowing 39 or 41 depending on the SIM model, the Xiaomi should be significantly superior.
The Xiaomi boasts an incredible 7500mAh battery and also offers faster charging with 100W capability as opposed to Apple’s 45W offering.
For South African buyers, though, there’s a hitch. It’s only currently available in China, but it goes for around R14,489. In South Africa, the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at R31,299 from the iStore.
Of course, there’s a significant amount added to the purchase price for tech like iPhones in South Africa as the same model would cost the equivalent of R20,639 in the USA.
It’s difficult to say then what this Xiaomi model will cost when it comes to South Africa (rumoured to be in early 2026), but it will definitely be less than its iPhone competitor.
Therefore, along with its lower price, improved battery, and handy secondary screen for the camera, the Xiaomi is the better value buy.