The Xiaomi 17 Extremely’s design has been formally revealed, and it’s getting into a a lot much less fascinating course than I had been hoping for.
Xiaomi has taken to Weibo to supply affirmation that it’s going to certainly be launching its newest super-flagship telephone on Christmas Day.
I might write an entire piece about how bizarre that’s as a date for a serious smartphone launch, however we form of knew it was coming. Any astonishment can be wholly manufactured.
I’ve far stronger emotions in regards to the Xiaomi 17 Extremely’s design, which was showcased in the identical put up, in addition to throughout a short hands-on video posted to YouTube.
To be clear from the off, there’s actually nothing to be outraged about with the Xiaomi 17 Extremely’s design. There was even some backwards and forwards among the many staff about whether or not the phrase ‘downgrade’ ought to be used within the headline right here.
However for me, it’s an inferior strategy to the Xiaomi 15 Extremely, regardless of the brand new mannequin being leaner and sharper.
Xiaomi
Oh no, not one other one
However whereas the Xiaomi 17 Extremely would possibly properly show to be feat of engineering in its personal means, it’s additionally shifting in a extra acquainted, much less fascinating course aesthetically talking.
In his Xiaomi 15 Extremely overview, Tech Advisor’s Chris Martin praised the telephone’s hanging appears to be like and it beveled edges, which noticed Xiaomi “avoiding the pattern of utterly flat sides”. Whereas this was one other beast of a telephone, it managed to undertake an iPhone-like design whereas nonetheless trying distinctive in its personal proper.
Whereas the OnePlus 15 has been getting rave critiques, my very own view on it’s a little much less glowing. I discover its new ‘me too’ design to be a miserable regression from the OnePlus 13. Which, whether or not you really liked it or hated it, at the very least had its personal signature appear and feel.
I’ll have to go hands-on with the Xiaomi 17 Extremely earlier than I can say for positive, however I concern one thing related is occurring right here – the enblandonment (you heard it right here first) of smartphone design.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Go professional or go residence
I’d argue that there’s a fair larger case to be made for Xiaomi’s Extremely line retaining its full-on appears to be like. These telephones are pictures specialists that appear to attract from a lineage of traditional cameras tech as a lot as they do smartphones – in perform in addition to kind.
Certainly, the Xiaomi 15 Extremely and its predecessor have been notable for providing a converter package that successfully turned them into high-end point-and-shoots.
If something, I’d have favored to have seen Xiaomi lean into this ‘professional digital camera’ facet of issues (which the Xiaomi 14 Extremely arguably did even higher), making use of a few of these components on to the telephone’s physique. Nothing too radical, only a liberal use of grippy materials right here, a landscape-friendly finger relaxation there. Maybe a extra pronounced shutter button, or an built-in lanyard anchor level.
You would possibly argue that this is able to have made the Xiaomi 17 Extremely too area of interest a proposition. To which I’d reply: a £1,300 telephone with a hulking nice digital camera module is already a distinct segment proposition. There’s at all times the Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Professional if you’d like a extra conventional flagship telephone expertise from this model.
I’m nonetheless excited to get my fingers on the Xiaomi 17 Extremely. It guarantees to be a strong, well-built telephone with epic battery life and (above all) a shocking digital camera. I simply want I used to be as excited by the best way it’s going to look.