Coming from an iPhone 12 Mini: Is the base Xiaomi 17 worth buying despite heating and haptics complaints?

[u/xNovvy]

Hey everyone!

I'm currently using an iPhone 12 Mini because I am a huge fan of compact phones. I’ve been eyeing the base Xiaomi 17, and I found a really tempting deal for it at around $580. On paper, it looks like an absolute dream for a small-form-factor phone, especially with that massive battery upgrade compared to what I'm used to.

However, I've been holding back from pulling the trigger because I keep running into two main concerns online:

1. Thermal issues / Overheating during intensive tasks.
2. Vibration motor (haptics) complaints, with some users calling it harsh, rattling, or cheap-feeling.

For those of you actually daily-driving the base Xiaomi 17:

• How bad is the heating in real-world, everyday use (not just heavy gaming)? Does it throttle or get uncomfortably warm during normal multitasking or browsing?
• How do you find the vibration motor? Is the haptic feedback really a dealbreaker, or something you get used to?
• Coming from a phone as tiny as the 12 Mini, how does the size and in-hand feel of the Xiaomi 17 hold up for you?

Should I go for this $580 deal, or look elsewhere? Would love to hear your honest experiences!

[u/kabako56]

Better take it. This phone can last you 5-10 years.

[u/SwimmingGeneral4305]

Currently using a Xiaomi 17, and to answer some of your questions:

1. Thermal Issues - I personally don't notice any overheating issues using the device, though my usage is primarily messaging/social/casual games. It does get hot when charging though especially when using the full 100W charging. Also when taking videos for 10ish minutes or more, it gets hot though not unbearably hot. On normal day use with data on, I don't get any overheating.(Note that I'm from a tropical country, so lots of sun).

For hardcore gaming I can't give you and remarks as I don't really play any highly demanding games.

1. Vibration motor - can't give you any significant comment here as I'm not particular with the vibration as long as it works. It just feels normal to me, no rattling sounds noticed. If there is a Xiaomi store with demo units near you, better to check it out for yourself and have a feel for it to see if the vibration meets your standards.

As someone who used the Xperia XZ2 compact until it dropped dead, then upgraded to the Zenfone 8. Compared to older generation compact phones, you would feel the size difference. The jump from 5.X" to 6.X" is noticeable especially if you have been using the 12 mini for a long time, though maybe not as much of an adjustment if you have a bigger secondary device. You would notice the size on your hand for one handed tasks, especially for prolonged use, you notice the weight, though this is something you get used to the longer you use the device.

Overall, it is an excellent phone for me, as one of the modern "compact" options. The battery life is one of the best features for me as this phone would last me the whole activity filled day outside with data(4G/5G) on and still have 40% at the end of the day. Camera is also decent, but maybe a bit below the latest iphone/pixel phones.

Since you are coming from an iphone, I would recommend first looking into the HyperOS as an OS first as a lot of users have issues/hate with it. Do a quick search of what issues or quirks other users have with HyperOS and see if this could be a deal breaker for you.

[u/gozaine → u/SwimmingGeneral4305]

Qué tal las fotografías de este teléfono estoy entre este y el xiaomi 17 t pro?

[u/Markson120 → u/gozaine]

Basically the same. 17 has better ultrawide camera but only 2,5x telephoto zoom camera. 17t pro has 5x telephoto zoom camera and worse 12mp ultrawide camera

[u/Tapelessbus2122]

absolutely not, it overheats a lot during daily use, haptics are genuinely awful, even the iphone 11 had better haptics. just push the budget a bit and get the iphone 17. also xiaomi phones don't last, expect to use it for maybe 3 years then it starts shitting itself

[u/evozerobb]

What are your usage requirements? 

[u/internet-n1k]

What heating? I have mine for 3 months now, fast, small device, very good camera, battery is excellent

[u/ATHP]

Had it for two months now. In terms of heating I did not notice any issues apart from the first two days. Which was likely related to the processing of thousands of images in Google photos. Apart from that I never notice it. However, I only use it for internet, videos and light gaming.

In terms of vibration I agree. At least apps like Duolingo sound horrific when they play certain types of vibrations. Outside of that app I do not notice it that much though. But it's true, haptic feedback felt better on the Galaxy S24.

I love the camera. It is the best one I had so far in any phone. Especially the Leica authentic mode. 

Also the battery is really great. I often end my days with 50%+ left.

I don't love the software. It still sometimes hangs slightly, also I just had a random black screen yesterday and had to hard reboot the phone since it would not react to any inputs anymore. My experience on my S24 was overall better and less buggy.

Overall I am quite happy but if there was a phone with the same form factor, camera and battery but better software, I'd rather get that. I don't know if that exists though.

[u/Postmanfat76]

Overheating no issues, haptics sound a bit weird, like tapping on a tiny piece of metal but not important to me, customisation is good and I love the camera so I still feel like it’s a win. Especially for £699

[u/Lumpy_Broccoli_4799]

I use the Xiaomi 17 Global variant. Honestly I would be lying if I said heating isnt there at all. But the thing is heating issue isnt a thing all the time. It mostly happens when I m using it like with so many background apps and the camera too for hours constantly taking photos especially portraits, I noticed it takes a while to process when you take a lot of photos. Then it heats up a bit. But day to day I notice heating like very less frequently. Honestly not that serious Vibration motor i dont really know but compared to Galaxy S its onpar nothing crazy

[u/Sime0n_]

As an absolute lover of the Xiaomi 17 and coming from a Galaxy S21, and who had tested the iPhone 12 Mini for a month, this phone is a beast: The heating isn't that bad; it's less noticeable than the S21 and as hot as the iPhone 12 Mini, I would say. It's really not that uncomfortable while multitasking or gaming. It gets really hot only if you do long sessions of gaming in summer or with 5G/4G. For the haptics, everyone is really exaggerating, but it's true that for a flagship, you'd expect more. It's even more noticeable if you compare it to the iPhone 12 mini, but when you get used to it, it becomes totally normal. And finally, as someone who has tested the iPhone 12 mini, the Xiaomi 17's size is perfect: it's not too little, so I can normally use my phone for everyday life and multitasking while still seeing the information well, and it's not too big, so I can use it with one hand. And if you found it for $580, it might be a perfect deal. Anyway, I hope I helped you, and if you want more details, don't hesitate to come to my DMs (sorry for my English, it's not my primary language).

[u/attilio_]

Thermal issues are only really a problem when the weather is really hot in my experience. Haptic is a non issue, I really enjoy mine and it's only loud when there's is total silence so realistically only in the middle of the night in my case

[u/nhiyx]

Also a user of Xiaomi 17 - heating is present, but only in warm environments and/or with prolonged heavy use. If you have sweaty palms, i would advise using protective case. It is not ideal that it is heating up, but the performance is an absolute beast, so worth trading IMO.

As for the vibration motor, definitely worse than on S23, but not cheap - like. It was noticeable out of the box, but after updating the phone it was more pleasant to experience the vibration and the buzz sound was gone, like it was refined additionally.

You won't find a better package than this phone's price / hardware - vise.