Xiaomi 17 Pro Max misses DXOMARK top 10 camera phones

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max landed in 13th place on the DXOMARK camera rankings with an overall score of 159, falling short against flagship phones from Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, Apple, Google, Honor, and Motorola. While delivering strong photo performance, the phone lags behind competitors in video recording, stabilization, and mid-range zoom capabilities.

• Xiaomi 17 Pro Max scored 159 points on DXOMARK Camera and took 13th place overall
• The phone earned 165 points for photography and 146 for video, showing especially strong results in outdoor (172) and indoor (161) shooting
• Weak video stabilization and inconsistent white balance prevented it from cracking the top 10

Camera test results

DXOMARK’s evaluation highlights the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max’s prowess in photography. The main camera offers accurate white balance, pleasing color reproduction, and an excellent balance between detail and noise. Test scenarios reflect these strengths, with outdoor photography scoring 172 and indoor shooting 161. Portrait shots are impressive as well, receiving a 155 thanks to natural skin tones, high facial detail, and reliable subject-background separation.

Low-light shooting is another competitive area for the 17 Pro Max. Images maintain good detail with controlled noise across standard, portrait, and telephoto modes. However, exposure inconsistencies between consecutive shots and a tendency towards an orange tint under warm artificial lighting slightly detract from the experience. These aren’t deal breakers but do weigh the phone down compared to the category leaders.

Technical specs

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max’s camera hardware is solid and competitive. It features a 50MP main sensor measuring 1/1.28 inches with a 23mm f/1.67 lens, dual-pixel PDAF autofocus, and optical image stabilization (OIS). Supporting cameras include a 50MP ultrawide with a 17mm f/2.4 lens and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with an equivalent focal length of 115mm, also with OIS.

Zoom and video shortcomings

Zoom performance is a mixed bag. The 5x optical periscope telephoto lens gives the phone an edge at longer focal lengths, but mid-range zoom relies on cropping from the main sensor, resulting in less detail compared to rivals that switch to telephoto lenses earlier. At extreme zoom levels, AI processing can introduce unnatural textures.

Video is where the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max falls furthest behind the top 10. Despite excellent exposure and dynamic range in bright conditions, its video stabilization doesn’t meet flagship expectations-noticeable shaking occurs even when the phone is steady. White balance shifts abruptly, and noise becomes distracting when recording in low light.

Overall, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max delivers excellent photography results, but its weaknesses in video, stabilization, and consistent zoom hold it back from competing with the best camera phones on the market.