Xiaomi President Lu Weibing has revealed that the company was much closer than expected to releasing an ultra-thin smartphone similar to Apple’s iPhone Air. Speaking during an ongoing livestream, Lu said Xiaomi had already completed planning, early research, and was even nearing mass production before the company decided to cancel the project at the last minute.

According to Lu, the decision came down to user experience. Xiaomi found that creating an extremely thin and lightweight phone required too many compromises in areas like battery life and performance. While the design looked appealing, the company felt the final product would not meet the standard experience Xiaomi wanted to deliver to users.

Lu explained that the thinner the device becomes, the harder it is to include large batteries, proper cooling systems, and high-performance hardware without affecting daily usability. Instead of launching a product that looked impressive but made sacrifices in real-world use, Xiaomi decided to abandon the idea entirely.

No Air, But Max

The comments also help explain why Xiaomi is focusing more heavily on larger “Max” devices in its upcoming lineup. Lu said the Xiaomi 17 Max is not being branded as a “Plus” model because the company sees the two categories differently. Traditionally, Plus phones mainly offer a larger display compared to the standard version. In Xiaomi’s case, however, the Max branding represents more than screen size alone.

Lu said the Max series is expected to include upgrades in areas such as imaging, performance, and battery life alongside the larger display. 

The livestream comments arrive at a time when many smartphone brands are experimenting with thinner and lighter devices. However, Xiaomi’s decision suggests the company believes consumers still prioritize battery endurance and consistent performance over ultra-slim designs.

It also aligns with Xiaomi’s recent messaging around flagship devices, where the company has emphasized larger batteries, advanced camera systems, and higher-end hardware rather than chasing the thinnest possible form factor.

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The post Xiaomi explains why the company didn’t launch an iPhone Air rival appeared first on Gizmochina.

An early engineering mould of the Xiaomi 17 Air has surfaced on social media, offering a first look at a device that was once under development but never made it to launch. The leak hints at Xiaomi’s experimentation with ultra-thin smartphone designs, at a time when slim form factors are again drawing attention across the industry.

Xiaomi 17 Air early engineering mould leak surfaces online

A video shared by tipster Bald Panda shows the alleged Xiaomi 17 Air, which resembles a dual-camera version of the iPhone Air. The rear design features a horizontally aligned camera module, though Xiaomi appears to have added an extra camera compared to Apple’s approach.

The mould suggests an exceptionally slim body measuring just 5.5mm in thickness, making it even thinner than the iPhone Air, which is said to be around 5.6mm thick. The front is believed to house a 6.59-inch display, placing it firmly in the large-screen flagship category despite its compact profile.

However, this design never progressed beyond the prototype stage. Reports indicate that the Xiaomi 17 Air project was eventually cancelled, meaning the device is unlikely to reach commercial production. This makes the leaked mould more of a glimpse into Xiaomi’s internal design exploration rather than a preview of an upcoming launch.

Interestingly, an earlier leak from October 2025 by tipster Smart Pikachu suggested that Xiaomi was testing an ultra-thin flagship with a 6.6-inch display. While the official branding was not confirmed at the time, the device was widely expected to debut as the Xiaomi 17 Air. That leak also hinted at a rounded-corner display design and a cold-sculpted metallic body aimed at delivering a refined in-hand feel.

One of the more striking claims was the inclusion of a 200-megapixel main camera, which would have made it one of the thinnest smartphones to carry such a high-resolution sensor.

The Xiaomi 17 Air appears to have been cancelled due to the growing realisation that ultra-thin smartphones involve significant compromises. Limited battery capacity, thermal constraints, and camera trade-offs, combined with weak market demand for such devices, likely made the project commercially unviable.

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The post First look at Xiaomi 17 Air, but the phone may never see the light of day appeared first on Gizmochina.