Hey,

Welcome to this week’s Experiments in Progress (by Pete Matheson) issue!

Apple says it’s leading innovation. But Chinese phone makers have been doing it first — for years.

Foldables, fast charging, massive sensors — phones like the Xiaomi 17 Pro keep pushing boundaries.

So why does the iPhone 17 Pro still feel better to use?

In this issue, I’m breaking down:

Let’s dive in👇

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Every year, Apple gets credit for “innovation.”

But if you look closer, Chinese phone brands — Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus — have often been years ahead.

They were doing razor-thin foldables long before Samsung.
100W charging before Apple even hit 30.
And now, with the new Xiaomi 17 Pro, it feels like they’ve gone all-in on matching Apple spec-for-spec… and then some.

So here’s how they actually stack up 👇

Xiaomi 17 Pro — Massive battery, technically bigger than iPhone’s. But optimization isn’t there yet. Even with faster charging, the phone doesn’t actually last longer — the software still burns through power.

Verdict: Huge battery, average stamina.

iPhone 17 Pro — Smaller capacity, but Apple’s battery management still wins in day-to-day use. It’s not flashy — it just quietly lasts.

Verdict: Efficiency beats size again.

Xiaomi 17 Pro — Xiaomi 17 Pro packs impressive hardware: massive sensors and sharp lenses with a variety of shooting modes. But its image processing can be uneven, sometimes producing photos with inconsistent color balance or over-processing. It’s like having a Ferrari engine without perfectly tuned steering.

Verdict: Brilliant camera tech — inconsistent results.

iPhone 17 Pro — The opposite story: smaller numbers, smarter tuning. Every shot feels ready to post without editing.

Verdict: Not as exciting, but more reliable.

Xiaomi 17 Pro — MIUI offers beastly specs and tons of features, but its software can feel bloated at times. You get speed—but occasional slowdowns and background app issues mean it’s not always seamless.

Verdict: Specs win, experience lags.

iPhone 17 Pro — Apple silicon still dominates consistency. Everything feels smoother, tighter, more predictable.

Verdict: Still the standard for performance.

Xiaomi 17 Pro — Samsung led the foldable phone revolution, beating Chinese brands to the market. But Xiaomi and others quickly closed the gap, pushing boundary-pushing features like ultra-fast charging, shifting glass backs, and AI-driven camera tricks far ahead of Apple.

Verdict: 5 years ahead in ideas, 1 year behind in refinement.

iPhone 17 Pro — Apple moves slower, but every step feels intentional. You don’t get early access to trends — you get the finished version later.

Verdict: Slow, steady, premium.

Xiaomi’s building the future faster. Apple’s making it feel smoother.

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If you missed these, they’ve been two of our most replayed episodes — packed with lessons (and mistakes) from the creator grind.

Inside these episodes:

The real numbers, the hidden costs, and what surprised me most about how YouTube revenue really works.

📺 Watch on YouTube | 🎧 Listen on Spotify | 🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts

Behind the scenes of rebuilding our sponsorship system (with AI) — and what makes a pitch actually land.

📺 Watch on YouTube | 🎧 Listen on Spotify | 🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts

If you’re building your creator business and want to see what’s working behind the scenes, these are a solid place to start.

There’s a difference between something that looks cool on your feed and something that actually changes your day.

So I put $100 to the test — across gear, tools, and tiny luxuries — to see which products are truly worth it.

In the next issue, I’ll share:

Plus, my take on what’s worth spending on — and what’s just clever marketing.

🗓️ See you Saturday.