Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 5G hands-on review

Introduction

The Redmi Note 17 is the latest in the company's series of big-screen affordable devices, and the successor to last year's Redmi Note 15. More specifically, the model we have here is the Redmi Note 17 5G, which just got launched in India after a month of China exclusivity. The phone is also functionally identical to the Poco M8 Power that was launched recently.

The big new feature this year is the battery, which has gone from 5520mAh on last year's model to a massive 8000mAh on the Redmi Note 17. There's also a bigger 7.0-inch AMOLED display that now features flat sides and supports up to 120Hz.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 (India/China) specs at a glance:

• Body: 169.7x79.1x8.4mm, 225g; Gorilla Glass 7i front, plastic frame and back, IP65 dust-tight and water-resistant (low-pressure water jets).
• Display: 6.99" OLED, 120Hz, 960Hz PWM, 1800 nits (peak), 1080x2396px resolution, 19.97:9 aspect ratio, 375ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM4450-AF Snapdragon 4 Gen 4.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 16, HyperOS 3.
• Rear camera: 50 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF.
• Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 8000mAh; 45W wired, PD3.0, 22.5W reverse wired.
• Connectivity: 5G; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.1; NFC; Infrared port.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); dual speakers; Virtual proximity sensing.

However, this is where we come to the elephant in the room. In another timeline, AI was never invented, memory prices were stable, and the Redmi Note 17 was an upgrade in every way over its predecessor. However, we do not live in that timeline, and as we have seen with some other devices in this segment, the Redmi Note 17 is forced to make some compromises over the Redmi Note 15 to even be in the same price ballpark.

So what are we talking about here? Well, for starters, the new phone comes with the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 chip, which is less powerful than the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 on the Redmi Note 15. There's only a single 50MP camera on the back, and the stereo speakers are replaced by a single speaker at the bottom.

These are unquestionably significant changes, that too in a rather price-sensitive segment of the market. Will the Redmi Note 17 still be able to provide a reasonable experience for a phone in 2026? Let's find out.

Unboxing

With the Redmi Note 17, Xiaomi still provides a complete in-box experience. This includes the phone, a 45W fast charger, a cable, as well as a soft silicone case.