Spot Reviews: Every Moment Is Cinematic With the Xiaomi 17T

(SPOT.ph) Gone are the days when you’d have to bring a big camera just to capture life’s biggest milestones. Now, a phone will suffice. Modern technology has made the average smartphone so advanced that a unit today would have phones from a decade ago shaking in their boots. Chinese tech company Xiaomi is no stranger to pushing the limits, and their Xiaomi 17T phone—equipped with a camera co-engineered with Leica—promises beautiful photos without breaking the bank. We had the chance to review the phone to see if it could make every moment cinematic with just a tap.

The Xiaomi 17T is part of the Chinese tech brand’s latest launch which include the Xiaomi 17 and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra to form the Xiaomi 17 flagship series. This line of Android smartphones utilizes the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, silicon-carbon batteries for longer life, and of course, advanced Leica imaging systems, which has folks talking about the phone.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Leica partnered with the tech manufacturer for their smartphones’ cameras. In 2022, Xiaomi and Leica inked a partnership for the 12s series and now the Xiaomi 17 series phones are the newest kids on the block. 

So what’s the difference among the three? The Xiaomi 17 Ultra at P99,999 is the biggest and most expensive of the three phones and has a very camera-focused build, as it promises professional-level optics for its camera. The Xiaomi 17 at P53,999 is a more compact flagship phone that’s a tad bit more affordable than the Ultra. And finally, the Xiaomi 17T—the most affordable of the three at P38,999—delivers solid speed, performance, and camera capabilities without poking holes through your pockets.

Before we dive in, it’s important to mention that we tested the Xiaomi 17T mostly for its biggest selling point: its camera, which was co-engineered with German camera brand Leica. It’s still equipped with the works, like messaging, calls, streaming, gaming, and more, but we really honed in on its photographing capabilities.

Straight out of the box, the Xiaomi 17T feels like a premium phone with its sleek finish, flat-edged bezel design, and smooth screen. The Deep Violet edition teeters between muted rose and lilac, which is an elegant option for those who want some color in their life without going overboard.

Each box comes with charging cords and this unit also came with a matte case. Usually, people have to wait a few days for a phone case to come in or pre-order a case before unboxing a phone to protect it before use, so it’s nice that the Xiaomi 17T comes with one off the bat. For those who prefer something more personalized or stylish, at least the phone is protected while your ideal case is getting delivered.

It’s pretty lightweight at just 200 grams and with a screen size of 6.59 inches, it sits nicely in the palm without danger of slipping. It also fits most pants pockets without a hitch—a big win for folks who love carrying tiny handbags or for people who have their entire lives solely in their pockets.

Touch-screen response was good with no lags, and opening apps had no delays either. It was pretty easy to figure the phone out and even its built-in camera app was intuitive and newbie-friendly. There were apprehensions approaching the phone since the Leica brand built up scenarios of so many buttons and knobs, but we’re happy to report that it’s not as intimidating as we thought it would be.

Setting up accounts was also a breeze thanks to the Android operating system, as every Google application is pre-installed. Just one login was all it took to automatically connect accounts and sync sessions, plus it was easy to log everything out in one go when we had to return the phone. I didn’t think much of it then, but it was actually a good call in terms of security since users could easily sign out should they need to.

As the Xiaomi 17T was mostly used for taking photos and videos, it wasn’t subjected to streaming, gaming, or heavy productivity needs like video calls, presentations, and frequent texting or calling. Its 6500mAh silicon-carbon battery could last two to three days without recharge, and that was only for using the camera. I was ready with a power bank or a charger anytime, but I barely needed it. On the days I did have to charge, charging was quick thanks to its 67W HyperCharge tech. I could plug it during a bath or while getting ready and I’d have enough power to get through traffic.

The Xiaomi 17T might look lowkey at first glance, but photography nerds know the magic lies within its built-in camera, which was co-engineered with camera brand Leica. Mentioning it was enough to get my friends curious about the phone, and it took no time at all to have the phone be the star of a weekday dinner.

The main camera is 23mm and is 50MP (f/1.7) with OIS and a Light Fusion 800 sensor. Its 115mm telephoto lens is 50 MP (f/3.0) with 5x optical zoom, while its 15mm ultra-wide lens sits at 12 MP (f/2.2) with 120-degree field of view. Its front camera is 32 MP.

At a quick glance, the photos appear sharper and more vibrant. Without having to change settings, the phone already delivered crisp images, but going into portrait mode gave photos that nice depth of field that really highlighted subjects in the foreground and blurred the background in a realistic way–reminiscent of camera lenses with aperture adjustments. It was pretty impressive a week in, and I really appreciated it another week later when friends would say “It looks so nice!” or “That’s legit,” whenever I’d show them the shots.

There were also multiple presets available on the Xiaomi, like Silhouette, Flames, Fireworks, and Stage, which I used liberally for concerts and shows. Editing was also a breeze, but using the Leica camera and adjusting settings before you even hit click seriously reimagines the many ways you can take a photo. There are so many things you can adjust, and this flexibility will surely be appreciated by people who like their photos to look a certain way or evoke a particular emotion.

Another great thing about the Xiaomi 17T camera is its selfie mode at night. It automatically detects the lack of light and projects a white frame on the screen so your subjects in the selfie (a.k.a yourself and your friends!) are still well-lit. I previously never thought much about it and would instinctively gravitate towards the nearest window or light.

Photo quality, color, and ease of use aside, the biggest win of this camera was really its telephoto lens. It has a x5 telephoto lens that lets users zoom in on the tiniest details or see things up-close from afar. I’m no nature photographer to merit zooming into a flower bud to pester a bee minding its own business, but I do love a good concert, and boy did the phone give me a good view.

Any seat in the house is the best seat, but it rings more true with the Xiaomi 17T. I caught BTS’s performance in Busan where the boys had to perform for over 50,000 people. I was fully prepared to watch ants on the floor, so my eyes were mostly glued to the massive screens. Still, the camera did a good job of zooming in on both the screen and the boys, and I had a great time reviewing footage and reliving the concert to notice details or moves I might have missed.

This is where the Stage setting came in handy. Prior to using the Xiaomi 17T, I would manually click the brightest point on my phone when recording and turn down the brightness so the screens wouldn’t wash out the actual performance. All I had to focus on was keeping my hand stable and capturing the show since the Xiaomi 17T camera was adjusting the brightness for me.

When you’re in a venue with 50,000 other people, it’s difficult to articulate to other people just how massive a place can be, and how huge that crowd really is. I went wide before and during the performances to show friends and family back home the full scale of the concert.

Perhaps the Xiaomi 17T’s only drawback in our eyes is the lack of wireless charging. Wireless chargers and power banks don’t work with the Xiaomi 17T, so you’ll have to rely on the good, old charging cord to juice up the device. The good news is that it has a USB-C port for quick charging, and all your USB-C wires are compatible by default.

There are also no expandable storage options for the Xiaomi 17T, but with cloud storage and the phone coming in 256GB and 516GB versions, it’s not really that big of a deal. Google Photos is also pre-installed, and it's easy enough to select which photos you want to back up on the cloud. There's also an option to automatically back up every single photo you take, save, or screenshot.

The Xiaomi 17T does the basics well: it has a good battery life, productivity via messaging and other apps is standard, and it’s a pretty sleek phone that looks good in the hand. While many would argue that most modern phones come equipped with a good camera already, nothing beats having the opportunity to modify settings, edit photos post-snap, and capture memories no matter how near or far. It goes beyond the bare minimum for a phone thanks to its camera.

To get straight to the point, the Xiaomi 17T takes really good photos minus all the hassle and stress.

Users who love taking photos and videos will definitely appreciate the many settings, filters, and editing features available on the Xiaomi 17T. For photography enthusiasts, it’s definitely a huge plus being able to adjust different things like aperture and zoom without sacrificing quality. Its weight also gives it portability, making it the ideal companion on trips, nights out, and life’s daily adventures.

It elevates every experience without requiring you to adjust so many knobs and lights. For those who aren’t well-versed in photography or can’t spend too much time modifying the settings, filters and presets simplify the experience while still delivering vibrancy, emotion, and depth in photographs. Apart from the quick default modes and filters, it’s also a great way to dip your toes into experimenting with mobile photography, as the settings are easy to adjust and editing after taking photos is very forgiving.

If you love taking photos during travels and concerts, the Xiaomi 17T is definitely worth it. It’s versatile enough to cover basic tasks and productivity needs, all the while delivering in the camera department and remaining relatively affordable at P38,999 compared to other phones in the market. We’d say it’s a bang for your buck.

The Xiaomi 17T starts at P38,999 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. If you’re the type to hold onto memories and snap as many photos as possible, then you can go for the 12GB RAM and 512GB version for double the memory. The bigger storage option goes for P42,999, just P3,000 more than the 256GB. Take your pick from classic Black, sleek Opal White, and chic Deep Violet.

All the colorways and storage capacity options are available via the official Xiaomi Philippines website, their official Shopee Mall, and via Lazada. The website is on sale right now, bringing it to just P37,999 for the 256GB option.