Xiaomi 17 Air: there’s a prototype, but it’s not all sunshine and roses

Only a few hours have passed since the latest rumors about Xiaomi’s first ultra-thin smartphone, but here come more updates — both positive and negative. The alleged Xiaomi 17 Air (this is the possible commercial name) has been spotted in prototype form.

Certainly a significant step forward toward bringing the phone to market, but in reality it wouldn’t be all sunshine and roses. The rumors are conflicting and there are even talks of a possible cancellation of the project, despite the prototype.

Xiaomi 17 Air may never see the light of day, but here is the alleged prototype of the ultrathin smartphone

The leaked video circulating online would show part of the chassis of the mysterious Xiaomi 17 Air: the device would feature a slim profile — as one would expect from an ultrathin — with a horizontal main camera module.

And yes, even for this Air, inspiration comes from Cupertino and its iPhone Air — launched during last September’s event together with the 17 lineup.

The dual camera is positioned inside the punch-hole module; on the front, a display measuring 6.59″ diagonal (not visible in the prototype) while the body measures 5.5 mm in thickness. The leaker informs us that the phone never reached mass production and will most likely never reach the market.

The project would have been canceled, despite rumors dating back only a few days — which talk about the possible Xiaomi Slim.

As usual it’s impossible to know Xiaomi’s plans for certain, especially when it comes to an unreleased device for the brand. Still, for months this tug-of-war between insiders who support cancellation and those pushing for the brand’s first ultrathin to hit the market continues.

All this uncertainty from the same leakers only strengthens the most plausible hypothesis: ultrathins have been a flop due to the compromises they require, and that — at the same price — it’s objectively better to choose a flagship “classic”.