The Redmi Note 17 Pro Max has a battery so big, it doubles as a power bank. I tried it out

Redmi, a Xiaomi sub-brand, has had enough of small capacity batteries. Inside the new Redmi Note 17 Pro Max is a 9,210mAh battery, making it the largest in any Redmi phone to date, and easily one of the largest in any mainstream phone we’ve seen.

Despite the enormous capacity, the phone itself isn’t a behemoth, and is essentially the same size as the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, with which it shares at least part of its name.

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What about the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max's specification?

All about the battery

The big 9,210mAh battery is the headline spec. It’s a silicon-carbon cell paired with a 100W wired charging system using a proprietary Xiaomi HyperCharge charger. Sensibly, Xiaomi is putting the big battery to plenty of use, as it has a 27W wired reverse charging system too, so you can use it as a power bank.

It’s hidden inside a phone with somewhat sensible proportions. The Cloud Blush model in our photos is 8.57mm thick (or 8.65mm if you choose the black, purple, or green model) and 225 grams.

The 6.83-inhch AMOLED screen gives the Note 17 Pro Max its size. The resolution is 2772 x 1280, it has a 120Hz refresh rate, 3,500 nits peak brightness, and is covered in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The durability is further enhanced by an IP66 and an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.

Not a performance camera phone

But it may not matter to many

The screen and battery tech make the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max stand out, but what about the camera and performance? While the name may hint at a high spec, and it’s certainly the top model in the new Redmi Note range, it’s not going to challenge top phones from Samsung or Apple.

The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5, and it comes with 8GB of RAM, with the choice of 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of internal storage space. There will be a special 12GB/512GB version available too. The Qualcomm chip was introduced in May and this is one of the first phones with it inside.

On the back is a 50-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization and an 8MP wide-angle camera. That’s right, just two cameras. No small telephoto, no macro camera, nothing.

Some may see the 50MP camera as a serious downgrade from the 200MP main sensor on the Redmi Note 15 Pro series. However, performance looks good in the few samples I’ve taken, with bright colors and good contrast.

Other features include dual speakers, an in-display fingerprint sensor, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, and a 32MP selfie camera.

How does the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max feel in your hand?

Big screen means big dimensions

I’ve got the Cloud Blush version to try out. You can only get the finish on the Note 17 Pro Max. The rear is fiberglass and uses a ‘photochromic’ effect to change from cloud white to a warm pink-orange color in sunlight.

When it’s not in sunlight, the rear panel has an oyster-like sheen when it catches the light. Get it out in the sun and the transformation takes a short while, but it’s really noticeable once it happens.

Clouds appear on the back of the phone, surrounded by a warm, sunset hue that really does make the phone look completely different to before.

It’s not so in-your-face that it’ll split opinion, and just enough to make it look fun and unique. It follows phones like the Oppo Reno16, and it’s great to see brands experiment with different designs and styles to keep phones interesting.

There’s no hiding from the fact this is a big phone. I’ve been using the Google Pixel 11 Pro, and the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max feels massive by comparison. It’s a stretch to hold and use it with one hand.

The sides do have plenty of grip, and the corners are neatly curved so it doesn’t dig into your palm. The screen bezels are noticeable, but not off-putting or distracting.

What about the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max's performance?

Long battery life

Because the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 is so new, it’s hard to know how it will perform, and whether the massive battery helps with efficiency or not.

I’ll review the phone over the coming weeks, but I ran some benchmarking tests to get an idea of what to expect. The good news is, the phone didn’t get even slightly warm during a 20-minute stress test in the 3DMark benchmarking app, even on a hot and humid day.

Xiaomi claims the battery will last for three days on a single charge with general use. Considering the minimal battery drain in the 3DMark Stress Test, this doesn’t sound unlikely. Light users may be able to stretch it out for even longer.

Redmi Note 17 Pro Max price and availability

The Redmi Note 17 Pro Max is the top model in the new range. It’s joined by the Redmi Note 17 Pro, the Redmi Note 17, plus a Redmi Note 17 5G too.

The Redmi Note 17 Pro gets a smaller 8.340mAh battery and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6S Gen 4 processor, along with a 16MP selfie camera.

Neither Xiaomi or Redmi sell their smartphones directly in the US, but its Redmi phones are available in the UK. The brand also sells its smartphones in India and other regions.

Keen Xiaomi fans will recognize Redmi has skipped past the ’16’ model number, bringing it inline with the Xiaomi 17 series, and with Apple’s nomenclature too.