GoKawiilI absolutely adored Xiaomi and Leica's Leitzphone -- and the many stunning photos I took with it -- but at £1,700 ($2,279) it's out of reach for those of us who don't have "CEO" or "Oil Baron" in our job title. But thankfully Xiaomi makes a variety of phones with much more reasonable prices. Its latest midrange mobile -- the 17T Pro -- has a lot to offer for its reasonable price tag.
From its metal design and its Leica-branded rear camera setup to its solid performance, it packs pretty much everything you'd need from a phone on a daily basis. Better yet, its 899 euro (around £779 or $1,045 although it won't be officially sold in the US) means it won't break the bank either.
I've had the phone in my hand for a matter of hours so I can't yet give a verdict on whether this phone is a competitor to budget phones like the Pixel 10A, similarly priced phones such as the iPhone 17, or pricier models such as Xiaomi's 17 Ultra. But I've had some early thoughts I wanted to share. So here we go.
Xiaomi 17T Pro: A slick, blue design
The phone's body is made from metal and I think it feels great to hold. It's got a solidity to it that makes it feel more premium than you might expect at this price. I like the deep blue color as well -- it manages to look both stylish but also smart. I love tech with a bit of personality (like Nothing's pink Phone 4A Pro or my newly reskinned pink Leica Q3 43) so anything that goes beyond the usual black, silver or white is good for me.
Blue metal is good metal. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
It's IP68 rated for protection against water or dust and its 6.83-inch display is big, bright and bold enough to do justice to mobile games and YouTube videos.
Xiaomi 17T Pro: Leica cameras
The phone packs the usual trio of rear cameras including a 50 megapixel main camera, 50 megapixel telephoto camera (offering 5x optical zoom) and a 12 megapixel ultrawide camera. The main camera apparently uses a Leica Summilux lens element for clearer images, which I'm looking forward to trying out. I don't expect it to compete with the photography prowess of the Leitzphone -- that phone packs some seriously advanced imaging tech, hence the price -- but I do expect it to be able to deliver good-looking snaps in most conditions.
It's got a lot of competition though as even budget-focused phones like the Pixel 10A and the Nothing Phone 4A Pro are able to delivery vibrant, punchy images at affordable prices, so I'm keen to see how well the 17T Pro stacks up against the competition.
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