Extreme in several ways

Review: Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max - Pushing the boundaries

According to today's general phone naming conventions, Pro Max is a genuine flagship model, so when this phone also comes at a genuinely low price, it becomes very interesting.

Erik Mörner Erik Mörner

Published 24 September 2026 - 14:14

Even when we look at what the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max offers on paper, it is clear that, as the name suggests, this is a fully loaded phone. Xiaomi has not held back. It is above all the rather incredible 9,210 mAh battery capacity that draws attention. That is twice what many comparable phones offer today, and during the test period I only needed to charge it a handful of times. The phone provides several days of use without charging, and when I do charge it, it supports 100 W fast charging, so just a short charging session provides enough power to last for the rest of the day.

Not just battery

Fortunately, battery capacity has not been prioritised at the expense of other basic functions. Support for fast charging is one example of this. This is not merely a pursuit of high, impressive figures; the phone also has the overall package and the fundamental features that make it practical to use.

I would say that this is a phone with a more practical focus. In the box, there is a grey rubber case that protects the phone while also concealing much of the light green plastic back and the frame, which is also made of plastic. Plastic itself is both durable and lightweight and, unlike glass, does not shatter and break as easily. Xiaomi has done a good job of making the back elegant and matt. It is easier to tell that the frame is plastic rather than aluminium, but the overall impression is still stylish, and from a slight distance it could just as easily be made of glass and metal.

Redmi is Xiaomi's more affordable range of phones, and that is of course noticeable even without looking at the price. Clear priorities have been made here, because you cannot have everything at this price point.

There is no wireless charging, and I miss the option of an always-on display, so that I could see the time and notifications even when the phone is idle. The display itself is 6.83 inches, with a fast refresh rate and high brightness, making it easy to read even in strong sunlight. It is an AMOLED display, so I get deep blacks and good colour reproduction. Nothing to complain about there, then.

Cluttered software

The phone comes with Android 16 and Xiaomi's HyperOS 3 software on top. This is not the latest version of Android, but last year's version, and Xiaomi's additions to Android are both cluttered and add relatively little of use. Instead, there is a long list of unwanted third-party apps that cannot be opted out of, although they are at least easy to uninstall. Xiaomi still provides the functions offered by Android, which goes a long way, but compared with other Android manufacturers, Xiaomi struggles to stand out in a positive way. The same applies to its update promise. With the Xiaomi Note 17 Pro Max, we are promised four years of system updates, which is also a couple fewer than the best competitors offer. Android updates are a prerequisite for being able to use, for example, Mobile BankID while maintaining security.

In some areas, the Redmi Note 17 series therefore struggles to compete, but it is also priced lower than many of its rivals, so that must be kept in mind. One area where Xiaomi usually leads the way is photography, and although the Redmi Note phones do not benefit from Xiaomi's partnership with Leica, the manufacturer shows its camera prowess here as well.

Good camera with minor flaws

What I appreciate most is the portrait mode and how skin tones and details are rendered beautifully and naturally. In this respect, it delivers better images, even compared with rivals that cost considerably more. I also get good pictures in daylight, but that applies to most, even simpler, mobile cameras on the market. At dusk or, for example, at a dimly lit dinner table, the images are still good and portraits have natural colours. It is only when it is truly dark that I notice detail and sharpness suffering.

While the Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max outperforms many rivals in these areas and still has a low price, there is one clear area where Xiaomi has obviously cut costs: performance. In benchmark tests and when I compare performance, this phone clearly trails a comparable handset such as the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE. It is therefore even somewhat surprising that the interface on the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max still runs smoothly and that everyday use, without any particularly demanding games, presents no problems whatsoever.

In the Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 series, the phone we have tested here, the Pro Max, is the top model and very similar to the slightly simpler Pro model. The base-model Redmi Note 17, however, is entirely different, with a fraction of the performance, and its lack of power is noticeable at every turn. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, manages well with the power it has under the hood.

Questions and answers

What is the benefit of such a large battery?

It lasts a long time, and Xiaomi even highlights the possibility of using the phone as a power bank for other phones. It then charges at 27W.

Can I swim with it?

Yes, you should be able to. There is also a special mode in the camera app for underwater photography.

How does it feel in terms of quality?

It is plastic rather than glass and metal, but that is not obvious, and its durability is good.

An alternative

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE, or its cheaper predecessor, the S25 FE, offers stronger performance and a more reassuring overall package in both software and hardware.