Ever since the release of the iPhone 17 series, Apple's influence in steering the entire mobile phone industry has been undeniable. Competitors have even begun to emulate it, inside and out. Apple, naturally, welcomes this trend and hopes that its rivals will keep imitating. Even Huaqiangbei, a region that has been relatively quiet for a while, has unveiled a highly realistic counterfeit version of the iPhone 17 Pro. For leading Android manufacturers, while they may disdain the overt imitation seen in counterfeit products, there are still unexpected moves. For instance, Xiaomi surprised everyone just before its new product launch.

Previously, it was widely known that the first Android phone in the lineup (the term "camp" is retained here for its original meaning, though it could be translated as "market" or "field" depending on context) would be the Xiaomi 16. However, today, Lu Weibing personally confirmed that the upcoming flagship model will adopt an alternate-generation naming strategy and will be known as the Xiaomi 17 series. This change caught everyone off guard. Moreover, Lu Weibing has already started using the yet-to-be-officially-released Xiaomi 17 Pro Max and claimed that the new phone will directly challenge the iPhone 17.

Since Xiaomi aims to compete with Apple, it might as well go all out. The entire product line will consist of three models: Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max. Xiaomi has also confirmed something that users are highly interested in: the standard version will offer more features without increasing the price. This was also a key selling point of the iPhone 17 that impressed users. However, at present, it remains unclear how Xiaomi 17 will manage to offer more features without raising the price, as it is impossible to make changes in terms of initial storage capacity and screen refresh rate like the iPhone 17 did. Nevertheless, Xiaomi emphasizes a "comprehensive major upgrade," though users are naturally quite curious about what specific changes the Xiaomi 17 will bring.

The product positioning of the Pro and Pro Max models seems to have drawn inspiration from Apple as well. The Xiaomi 17 Pro is positioned as a compact imaging flagship, while the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is positioned as the ultimate imaging flagship, promising to bring something new and exciting. Competitors may not be pleased to hear this, as who would admit that their products are dull?

Furthermore, Lu Weibing explicitly stated that the two Pro versions of the Xiaomi 17 will see significant advancements in core technologies, likely referring to imaging capabilities. If so, the user base may overlap with that of Apple. Regular Xiaomi fans should find the standard version of the Xiaomi 17 sufficient. Personally, I believe that much of what Lu Weibing refers to as "new things" may be reflected in the system, meaning that Surge OS 3 may contain some surprising elements. However, given that the beta version has been available for so long, the general content of the system has already been largely determined. How much can the official version differ?

According to this naming convention, many people speculate that the Xiaomi 17 Ultra may not exist, with the Pro Max taking its place. Whether the three models will be released simultaneously remains uncertain. However, based on Lu Weibing's statements, the likelihood seems high. If we delve deeper into the reasons for the name change, besides reinforcing the impression of competing with Apple in users' minds, it may also be to make everyone perceive the product upgrade as more significant than in previous years.

Of course, some netizens who enjoy stirring up controversy wonder if Surge OS 3 will subsequently be renamed to Surge OS 26.