Weekly poll: will you buy a Redmi Note 17 Pro or a Redmi Note 17 Pro Max?

Redmi Note 17 Series: Pro vs. Pro Max - Which Should You Buy?

The Redmi Note series, long lauded for its exceptional value, is undergoing a transformation. With the global launch of the Redmi Note 17 series on September 17th, including Europe and India, the question arises: are these new models still the smart buy they once were? While the series introduces four models (Note 17 4G, Note 17 5G, Note 17 Pro, and Note 17 Pro Max), we're focusing on the two top contenders: the Redmi Note 17 Pro and the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max.

Redmi Note 17 Pro: Key Upgrades and Trade-offs

The Redmi Note 17 Pro sees a departure from its predecessor's 200MP main camera, foregoing the high-resolution sensor previously used for enhanced zooming. However, this model boasts a significant battery capacity increase, now featuring 8,340mAh in Europe and 9,000mAh in India, a substantial leap from the Note 15 Pro's 6,580mAh. To match this, charging speeds have been boosted from 45W to 67W. Our tests indicate an improved Active Use Score by 2 hours, with charging times remaining remarkably consistent.

Redmi Note 17 Pro Max: Pushing the Boundaries

Stepping up, the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max further expands battery capacity to an impressive 9,210mAh or 10,000mAh depending on your region, coupled with a blazing-fast 100W charging capability. The Active Use Score shines at 22:31h, significantly outperforming the regular 17 Pro's 17:32h. While a full charge takes approximately an hour, even with the 100W adapter, the reverse charging speeds are noteworthy.

Under the hood, the Pro Max adopts a Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 chipset, an upgrade from the Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 found in the Pro. However, benchmark results may not astound when compared to rivals. Xiaomi has implemented UFS 4.0 storage for 256GB and higher configurations (with UFS 2.2 for the 128GB tier), but the chipset itself is capped at UFS 3.x speeds, a limitation confirmed in our testing.

Specifications at a Glance (India Variant)

• Redmi Note 17 Pro
• Redmi Note 17 Pro Max

Is the Price Hike Justified?

The global pricing for the Redmi Note 17 Pro starts at $400 (6/128GB), while the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max begins at $500 (8/128GB). In India, these translate to ₹37,000 (8/128GB) for the Pro and ₹50,000 (8/256GB) for the Pro Max. This represents a considerable increase compared to last year's Redmi Note 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, which were priced at ₹30,000 and ₹38,000 for similar configurations respectively. It's clear that the new models come with a premium.

Given these specifications and pricing, the crucial question for consumers is: which of these powerhouse devices will you be taking home?

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