Xiaomi is cutting Xiaomi 17 shipments in China because iPhone 17 is selling better – Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple has managed to strengthen its position in the Chinese market thanks to the new iPhone 17, which is showing high sales compared to the flagship Xiaomi 17. This was stated by the famous analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. According to him, due to the popularity of the new iPhone, the demand for Xiaomi 17 smartphones turned out to be lower than expected, which forced the Chinese company to reduce planned shipments by 20%.

According to Kuo, Xiaomi initially planned to sell about 10 million devices of the 17 series, but now the company's forecast has been lowered. If the trend continues, the total sales of these smartphones may fall below the level of the previous Xiaomi 15 series, which reached about 8 million units. The base model Xiaomi 17 shows particularly weak results: instead of the expected 50-55% of all shipments, it may account for only 15-20%.

Unlike Xiaomi, Apple is selling the basic version of the iPhone 17 more actively in China due to noticeably better specifications compared to its predecessor. The smartphone received a larger and brighter display with a refresh rate of 1-120 Hz instead of 60 Hz, a base storage of 256 GB instead of 128 GB in its predecessor, and an updated ultra-wide-angle camera of 48 MP instead of 12 MP. At the same time, the price of the new smartphone remained at the level of the previous generation.

The analyst notes that if demand for Xiaomi's flagships does not increase during the National Day holiday week, the company will have to reduce prices on some 17-series models to improve sales. In addition, according to the analyst, the release of a new budget iPhone 17e in 2026 could also affect Xiaomi 17 sales.

The competitive situation between the iPhone 17 and Xiaomi 17 so far only concerns the Chinese market, while the results of global sales remain unknown.