2025-10-23 05:03:19

Xiaomi – not Apple – has reportedly emerged as the trendsetter that other Chinese manufacturers are scrambling to emulate.

Following the release of Xiaomi’s 17 series – which debuted just days after Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup – brands such as Oppo, Vivo, and Honor have accelerated their own launches and design updates to keep pace, Bloomberg has said.

Xiaomi’s latest flagship lineup is said to have disrupted the usual release calendar and inspired a wave of imitation across China’s Android ecosystem.

Ivan Lam, an analyst at Counterpoint Research, said: “Xiaomi’s 17 series caught rivals off guard.

“Its bold rear-display design struck the right chord with Chinese consumers, forcing other brands to accelerate launches just to stay visible.”

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max’s standout design – featuring a secondary rear display for framing selfies and notifications – has been praised for offering something “visibly new” in a market where differentiation is increasingly difficult.

Combined with a massive 7,500mAh battery, Xiaomi’s innovation has seemingly spurred competitors to match its specs and aesthetic cues.

Oppo’s Find X9 Pro and Honor’s Magic8 Pro now feature similar oversized batteries and camera-centric marketing.

This flurry of activity highlights Xiaomi’s rising influence both at home and abroad.

Once dismissed as a fast follower of Apple, the company now ranks third globally in smartphone shipments, behind only Samsung and Apple, and is making inroads into the electric vehicle sector.

Interestingly, even as Xiaomi drives the domestic design race, Apple continues to perform strongly in China.

Counterpoint data shows iPhone 17 sales are up 14 per cent over last year’s models in both the U.S. and China, underscoring its staying power among premium buyers.

Still, in 2025’s high-stakes Chinese smartphone war, it’s Xiaomi – not Apple – setting the pace.

Lam said: “Competitors are rushing to amplify the key visual selling points of their products. For now, everyone’s chasing Xiaomi.”

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