Xiaomi 17T Brings Together The Future Of Smartphones And A Century Of Camera History
The new Xiaomi 17T Series blends Leica’s legendary photography heritage with massive batteries, telephoto cameras, and flagship-level smartphone performance.
- The Xiaomi 17T Series pairs Leica's century-old imaging heritage with modern smartphone tech, including a 5x telephoto camera and 120x AI Ultra Zoom.
- Both phones feature massive batteries, up to 7000mAh on the Pro model, promising nearly two days of use with rapid HyperCharge support.
- Prices start from RM2,399, with pre-orders including freebies like a Redmi Pad 2 and premium subscriptions to Spotify, YouTube, and Google AI Pro.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
Smartphones are getting smarter every year, but every once in a while, one comes along that feels like it carries both the future and the past in the palm of your hand.
That’s exactly the vibe Xiaomi is going for with its newly launched Xiaomi 17T Series, particularly with its camera system co-engineered with legendary German camera maker Leica.
For photography nerds, Leica is basically camera royalty. Founded way back in 1914, the company helped pioneer 35mm photography and became famous for producing cameras trusted by war photographers, street photographers, and even astronauts. The brand’s iconic “Leica look” (crisp detail, dramatic contrast, and rich tones) has long been associated with timeless photography and storytelling.
And now, that heritage has found its way into a smartphone.
The newly launched Xiaomi 17T and Xiaomi 17T Pro aim to blend Leica’s legendary imaging DNA with modern smartphone tech, creating a device that wants to do more than just snap pretty pictures for Instagram Stories.
“Leica Live Moment” Feature Will Make Your Photos Feel Alive
One of the headline features of the Xiaomi 17T Series is something called “Leica Live Moment”, which goes beyond traditional still photography.
Instead of simply freezing a moment in time, the feature captures the motion and emotion leading up to it, preserving little details like movement, fleeting expressions, and atmosphere. Think less “static photo” and more “mini cinematic memory”.
The phones also come with Leica Live Portrait, which adds natural-looking bokeh effects while keeping motion fluid and realistic. Xiaomi says this creates more expressive and emotionally rich portraits instead of the overly artificial blur effects smartphones sometimes produce.
And yes, the classic Leica watermark is here too for those who want their shots to feel extra artsy.
Telephoto Cameras Finally Become The Star
The Xiaomi 17T Series also marks the first time Xiaomi’s T Series lineup gets Leica 5x telephoto cameras across both models.
That means users can jump from ultra-close 30cm macro shots all the way to 10x optical-grade zoom and even up to 120x AI Ultra Zoom. Concert photos from the nosebleed seats? Creeping on the moon? Cat photos from across the room? The Xiaomi 17T wants to do all of it.
The Xiaomi 17T Pro goes even further with 4K 60fps cinematic recording and natural background bokeh effects for video, giving creators more room to play around with mobile filmmaking.
Special modes like Stage Mode are also designed to help users shoot concerts and live performances more clearly — something Malaysians will probably appreciate during festival season.
Big Screens, But Kinder To Your Eyes
Apart from cameras, Xiaomi is also heavily pushing display comfort this time around.
The Xiaomi 17T Series introduces what the company calls “Xiaomi Vision Care”, an eye-care focused display system designed to reduce blue light, flickering, and motion blur.
Both phones feature bright AMOLED displays with up to 3500 nits peak brightness, making them easier to use under Malaysia’s unforgiving afternoon sun.
The Xiaomi 17T Pro also gets a smoother 144Hz refresh rate, while the standard Xiaomi 17T comes with 120Hz.
And for those who hate bulky phones, Xiaomi says the regular 17T was designed with a more compact and lightweight form factor for easier one-handed use.
Massive Batteries For People Who Refuse To Touch Chargers
Battery anxiety? Xiaomi clearly wants that to become a thing of the past.
The Xiaomi 17T Pro packs a gigantic 7000mAh battery — reportedly the largest battery ever fitted into a Xiaomi flagship smartphone for international markets.
Xiaomi claims it can last nearly two days for average users.
Meanwhile, the standard Xiaomi 17T still gets a very respectable 6500mAh battery despite its smaller size.
Charging is equally aggressive, with the Pro model supporting 100W wired HyperCharge and 50W wireless charging, while the standard model supports 67W HyperCharge.
In other words: blink once and your phone might already be half charged.
Powered By MediaTek’s Latest Chips
Under the hood, the Xiaomi 17T Pro runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset built on a 3nm process, while the Xiaomi 17T uses the Dimensity 8500-Ultra.
Xiaomi says both phones are designed for smoother multitasking, gaming, and AI-powered features while keeping temperatures under control with its Xiaomi 3D IceLoop cooling system.
There’s Also A Public Exhibition In KL
To celebrate the launch, Xiaomi is also hosting “A Visual Journey with Xiaomi 17T Series” exhibition in conjunction with KL Festival 2026.
The exhibition runs from 30 May to 1 June 2026 at Federal Hall 1 & 2, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad.
Visitors can check out “The Decisive Moment” photo gallery, explore Xiaomi’s “Rumah Malaysia Then & Now” smart home showcase, and even get hands-on time with the Xiaomi 17T Series at the River of Life experiential booth.
There will also be a photowalk session led by photographer Yuji Haikal for those wanting to sharpen their photography skills using the new phones.
Pricing In Malaysia
The Xiaomi 17T Pro starts at RM2,899 for the 12GB + 256GB variant, while the top-spec 12GB + 1TB version goes for RM3,499.
Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 17T starts at RM2,399 for the online-exclusive 12GB + 256GB model.
Pre-orders run from 28 May to 11 June 2026 and include freebies like a Redmi Pad 2 as well as digital perks including extended warranty coverage, screen protection, YouTube Premium, Spotify Premium, and Google AI Pro subscriptions.
Travel With Xiaomi 17T Series
In celebration of the Xiaomi 17T Series launch, Xiaomi introduced the ‘Travel with Xiaomi 17T Series’ campaign where customers can stand a chance to win a 2 pax trip to a country of choice based on the cash voucher.
Running from 29 May to 30 June 2026, customers who purchase the Xiaomi 17T Series during this period can scan the official form QR code to submit their entries for a chance to win travel vouchers worth up to RM 20,000, with a total prize pool of RM 120,000.
Winners will be announced on Xiaomi Malaysia’s official social media page on 15 July 2026.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.
