After months of leaks and rumors, Xiaomi officially revealed the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max on September 25th in China. All three phones bring shiny new designs, new screens, large batteries, and brand new cameras. The Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max even feature cool-looking secondary displays on the back. However, according to famed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, despite the incredible hardware the Xiaomi 17 series packs, the new Xiaomi 17 phones are projected to sell less than the Xiaomi 15 series.

Writing on X, Ming-Chi Kuo claims that, per their industry survey shows, the Xiaomi 17’s current demand hint at 20% fewer shipments than the initial target of 10 million units. This projected cut in shipments is reportedly the result of weak demand for the base Xiaomi 17, which will cause the total shipments for the Xiaomi 17 series to land below 8 million.

The base Xiaomi 17 was expected to be the biggest contributor to the total shipments of the Xiaomi 17 series, accounting for 50-55%. However, Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that the “weaker-than-expected” demand for the Xiaomi 17 could result in the phone accounting for only 15-20% of total shipments. The improving sales of the Xiaomi 17 Pro and the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max are unlikely to fill this large gap.

At first glance, Ming-Chi Kuo’s latest shipment projections for the Xiaomi 17 series seem at odds with Xiaomi’s announcement of record-breaking sales. However, reception at launch is somewhat of an iffy metric to judge the long-term demand of a smartphone. For the Xiaomi 17 to overtake the sales of the Xiaomi 15, Xiaomi must attract new customers, the ones who aren’t loyal fans.

So, why is the Xiaomi 17 seemingly not selling as well as Xiaomi had hoped?

Ming-Chi Kuo points to the strong reception of the base iPhone 17 as a major factor contributing to the decreased demand of the Xiaomi 17. In a marked departure from previous iPhone launches, this year’s vanilla iPhone 17 has seen some major hardware improvements, including a new 120 Hz display, new 48 MP Fusion cameras, and more. These upgrades have been well-received by both the community and the media alike. So, it is not a surprise that the base iPhone 17 is also enjoying a strong reception in China.

The analyst also postulates that, if the demand for the Xiaomi 17 doesn’t improve during China’s National Day Golden Week, the company could cut prices of some models to stimulate sales.

Fawad Murtaza – Senior Tech Writer – 1362 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2021

I am Fawad, a fellow tech nerd. As a tech junkie, my relationship with technology goes back to my childhood years. Getting my first Intel Pentium 4 PC was the start of journey that would eventually bring me to Notebookcheck. Finally, I have been writing for tech media since 2018. From small no-name projects to industry leaders, I have worked with a number of tech publications.