Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun: Xiaomi 17 to Challenge iPhone 17, Releasing Late September
Xiaomi has surprised the tech world by skipping the “16” series altogether and jumping straight to the Xiaomi 17 line-up — a bold move that signals the company’s ambition to rival Apple’s iPhone 17.
On September 15, Lu Weibing — President of Xiaomi Group, President of the Smartphone Department and General Manager of the Xiaomi brand — posted on social media:
“Thank you for waiting. The all-new Xiaomi 17 series will be unveiled later this month. This marks the most significant leap in the history of Xiaomi’s digital flagship line, launching even one month earlier than the previous generation.”
According to Lu, the Xiaomi 17 series will include three models: Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. All three will feature the world’s first Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Supreme Edition chipset. The standard Xiaomi 17 is positioned as the most powerful base-model flagship in Xiaomi’s history, while the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is billed as the company’s most advanced camera and imaging flagship to date.
Lu also emphasized Xiaomi’s high-end push over the past five years, saying the company has invested more than RMB 100 billion into R&D and plans to double that to RMB 200 billion over the next five years. “We’ve been learning from the greatest competitor — Apple. Even though the iPhone 17 series has impressed everyone, we’re confident enough to take it head-on,” Lu stated.
Xiaomi’s founder and CEO Lei Jun echoed this message by reposting the announcement:
“The Xiaomi 17 series marks a cross-generation leap. We’re directly challenging the iPhone head-on.”
The announcement even showed that Lu Weibing posted his remarks from a Xiaomi 17 Pro Max device — a subtle teaser ahead of the official launch. Pre-orders for the Xiaomi 17 have already opened in the Xiaomi Store app.
Earlier this month, on September 5, a user asked Lu Weibing online, “Lu, did the Xiaomi 16 series really get skipped?” Lu replied, “Yes, it’s coming soon,” fueling speculation about the upcoming launch.
Meanwhile, Apple held its own fall launch event on September 10 at 1:00 a.m. Beijing time, unveiling four new models: iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple CEO Tim Cook called them “the biggest leap in iPhone history.” Prices start at RMB 5,999 for the iPhone 17 (256GB), RMB 7,999 for the iPhone Air, and RMB 8,999 for the iPhone 17 Pro, while the Pro Max now offers a 2TB storage option priced at RMB 17,999. Pre-orders opened on September 12, with official sales beginning on September 19.
The iPhone Air — Apple’s new ultra-slim model — measures just 5.6mm thick, weighs only 165g, and comes with a 6.5-inch display and the new A19 Pro chip featuring a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU. This is also Apple’s first globally unified eSIM-only design.
Lu Weibing commented on social media after the Apple event:
“Last night’s Apple event was truly the biggest year of change for the iPhone. The iPhone 17 standard model is powerful, the Air is stunning and may revive the ultra-slim phone market, and the Pro’s new design is controversial but highly recognizable. This year will be a transformative one for smartphones.”
Apple’s iPhone 17 launch has also driven a hiring surge at its supply-chain factories. According to recruiting platforms, multiple agencies are urgently hiring workers for Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant, with some offering bonuses of up to RMB 8,000.
In the secondary market, Xiaomi shares jumped over 2.4% on September 15, closing up 1.9% at HKD 56.2, giving the company a market capitalization of HKD 1.46 trillion
