Xiaomi scrapped its ultra-thin phone — and the iPhone Air is partly to blame
Xiaomi had a near-finished ultra-thin phone ready to go — and then killed it. The company's president Lu Weibing confirmed Xiaomi developed a 5.5mm prototype before pulling the plug just short of mass production, citing thermal issues and battery constraints. In its place comes the Xiaomi 17 Max, a full-power flagship due at the end of May 2026 with specs that make no apologies for thickness.
The thin-phone reality check
The cancelled prototype — later leaked by BigGo — would have housed dual cameras and premium materials, but the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip inside simply runs too hot for a 5.5mm body to handle without a vapor chamber. Squeezing that into such a thin frame meant sacrificing battery life and cooling performance to a degree Xiaomi wasn't willing to ship.
The iPhone Air's struggles made that decision look prescient. MacRumors reports Apple cut production capacity by 80% after surveys found virtually no demand for the $999 device — which ships with a single camera and a 3,149 mAh battery. Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo have all since shelved their thin-phone follow-ups.
Max, not Plus
Xiaomi is also retiring the "Plus" naming convention. Lu Weibing explained that "Plus" historically just meant a bigger screen on the base model. "Max" now signals a complete upgrade across the board — faster chip, better camera, bigger battery — rather than a size bump alone. It sits between the standard 17 and the Ultra, aimed at buyers who want the most performance without the Ultra's more extreme feature set.
The specs
Gizmochina confirms the Xiaomi 17 Max will launch with:
- Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 - Battery: 8,000 mAh - Main camera: 200MP with Leica optics - Charging: flagship-grade fast charging
An 8,000 mAh cell is a significant step up — the standard Xiaomi 17 already ships with 7,000 mAh, itself a class-leading figure. Pricing outside China hasn't been confirmed, but expect it to compete in the $1,100+ tier where it lines up against the iPhone 17 Pro.
The broader signal here is practical: in 2026, sustained performance and all-day battery life appear to matter more to buyers than a phone you can slide under a door.