What to keep in mind when buying an import unit
In terms of network compatibility, the Xiaomi 17 Max sold in China shouldn’t pose any issues in many parts of the world, as it supports at least LTE band 20 and most 5G bands. Its lack of support for eSIMs, Wear OS and Android Auto is perhaps more problematic. The HyperOS version for the Chinese market also typically offers only English and Chinese language options. So unlike with Vivo and Oppo devices, you’ll have to get used to an English user interface. The lower prices also come at the cost of having only a one-year warranty and generally less generous return and warranty terms.
Notably, Wondamobile doesn’t explicitly mention whether taxes and customs duties are included in the listed prices. We prefer how Tradingshenzhen and AverageDad are more upfront about this. According to the official website, Giztop handles taxes and duties differently based on the customer’s region. Whether the Xiaomi 17 Max is a better phone than the global Xiaomi 17T Pro ultimately comes down to personal preference. Besides featuring the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and a huge 8,000 mAh battery, the Max also offers a Leica-branded main camera with a 200 MP sensor. That said, its periscope telephoto lens provides only 3x zoom rather than the 5x magnification on the Xiaomi 17T Pro.