Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max revealed with rear screens and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chips

[Daniel Sims]

First look: Xiaomi is positioning its latest smartphones to compete directly with the recently launched iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro. Beyond being the first devices confirmed to feature Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, unveiled earlier this week, the Xiaomi 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max also stand out from Apple's devices with small secondary displays on the rear.

Information about the Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Pro is now available on the company's Chinese website. While the technical specifications closely mirror those of the iPhone 17, the company is also revisiting dual-screen technology.

For the curious out there, Xiaomi President Lu Weibing confirmed that the company skipped the Xiaomi 16 to better align with Apple's numbering.

Previous foldables, flip phones, and other devices have experimented with moving certain functions to smaller secondary screens. Xiaomi's approach places a large display on the rear camera module, capable of showing the time, notifications, widgets, and more.

With a 904 × 572-pixel resolution, the Xiaomi 17 Pro's 2.7-inch rear AMOLED display largely resembles the functionality of an Apple Watch attached to the back of the phone. Promotional materials are currently available only in Chinese, but the 1 – 120 Hz variable refresh rate screen appears to mimic the Apple Watch's always-on ProMotion technology, showing a simple clock when idle. The display can handle notifications, music controls, QR codes, calls, and other functions.

One of the most notable features is the rear selfie viewfinder. Taking selfies with a phone's primary camera can be challenging without a mirror, but displaying the camera feed on the rear screen allows users to frame and photograph themselves more accurately in a variety of settings.

Gaming may be the most unexpected use case for the rear screen. Xiaomi offers a Game Boy – inspired protective case with a physical directional pad and buttons positioned below the rear display cutout. The company's website demonstrates the case being used to play Angry Birds, though the screen's resolution is likely ideal for emulating retro games.

The Xiaomi 17 Pro features a 6.3-inch AMOLED primary display with a 1 – 120 Hz variable refresh rate, a 50 MP telephoto lens, a 6,300 mAh battery with fast-charging support, and configurations of up to 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1 TB of storage. The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max increases the main display to 6.9 inches, enlarges the rear screen to 2.9 inches, and boosts the battery to 7,500 mAh.

Pricing starts around $700 for the Pro and $840 for the Pro Max. Both launch later this month in China; no word on availability outside of Xiaomi's home turf.

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Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max revealed with rear screens and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chips

 

[seeprime]

I like this. Too bad the US government hates advanced Chinese companies.

 

[toooooot]

I like this. Too bad the US government hates advanced Chinese companies.

CCP hates us much more. The way it bullies neighbors, especially near its waters, is telling. That is how they are going to treat any country that is weaker than them. This country becoming top power would create the biggest bully we have ever seen.
I notice more and more similarities that China still has to both USSR and Putin's Russia. There is a nice facade, a civilized front which managed to convince a lot of people it is a normal country. But behind, there is still that monster face covered in blood of innocent that does not intend to stop eating its people.
It is our duty it does not get even stronger. Regretfully though, for the last 40 years USA did the opposite.

 

[seeprime]

CCP hates us much more. The way it bullies neighbors, especially near its waters, is telling. That is how they are going to treat any country that is weaker than them. This country becoming top power would create the biggest bully we have ever seen.
I notice more and more similarities that China still has to both USSR and Putin's Russia. There is a nice facade, a civilized front which managed to convince a lot of people it is a normal country. But behind, there is still that monster face covered in blood of innocent that does not intend to stop eating its people.
It is our duty it does not get even stronger. Regretfully though, for the last 40 years USA did the opposite.

Monster, yes. But with very good electronics technology.

 

[Eldrach]

CCP hates us much more. The way it bullies neighbors, especially near its waters, is telling. That is how they are going to treat any country that is weaker than them. This country becoming top power would create the biggest bully we have ever seen.

Really? Haven you spoken to any Canadians recently? I believe they would have some choice words about neighbourly conduct

 

[Theinsanegamer]

A 7500 mah battery would be sweet. I will never understand why the US has this obsession with shrinking batteries when everyone else stuffs as many MaH in their devices as possible.

Really? Haven you spoken to any Canadians recently? I believe they would have some choice words about neighbourly conduct

Canada has repeatedly voted to turn itself into a combination of New Delhi and a failed socialist state. Their problems are almost entirely self inflicted and nobody takes them seriously.

 

[hahahanoobs]

We'd have better products in the west if the east was allowed to be our competition.

 

[Starfals]

A 7500 mah battery would be sweet. I will never understand why the US has this obsession with shrinking batteries when everyone else stuffs as many MaH in their devices as possible.

Canada has repeatedly voted to turn itself into a combination of New Delhi and a failed socialist state. Their problems are almost entirely self inflicted and nobody takes them seriously.

Your name does fit.. nice comment about Canada lol.

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

China can because they can. The CCP Government has great influence in private and State owned companies, and private companies will get big funding if they follow National Objectives and policies. This is just one part.

 

[ArmorJr]

China has to copy everything...even f****** marketing names hahahahaha...that is so sad lol
I would not even use it even if they gave me the phone for free...

 

[Puiu]

A 7500 mah battery would be sweet. I will never understand why the US has this obsession with shrinking batteries when everyone else stuffs as many MaH in their devices as possible.

Canada has repeatedly voted to turn itself into a combination of New Delhi and a failed socialist state. Their problems are almost entirely self inflicted and nobody takes them seriously.

As apposed to the US, who repeatedly voted a known sexual abuser, racist, fascist and criminal fraud...

I really loved his new speech on how bad paracetamol is, it was such an eye opening moment for the medical and scientific community. Now they know the side-effects thanks to Trump.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Christ this thread went 0 to cope pretty fast.

While I think this feature is dumb and will never need it, it is always interesting to see Chinese tech firms breaking the mold and trying something new and different.

Having that huge internal market as well as the cultural density for trends to develop and take off gives these companies a leg up when trying something weird and new that US firms seem to have forgotten.

It feels more like US tech companies 20 years ago instead of the "extract maximum value for shareholders" bullshit we're stuck with today.

 

[Porkous]

I wonder if it can display a small map, this way it's easier to follow directions without fully turning on the main screen.

 

[Megalomaniac]

As a iPhone 17 Pro Max 2TB owner, let me be first to say "no thank you".

 

[GodisanAtheist]

As a iPhone 17 Pro Max 2TB owner, let me be first to say "no thank you".

-I mean, your iPhone is just a Chinese/Indian phone anyway...

 

[TempleOrion]

Xiaomi stuff (not just phones) are high quality and great value. Glad the 'merkins are missing out and instead giving more money to Apple's bottomless pit of cash LMAO.

 

[seeprime]

As apposed to the US, who repeatedly voted a known sexual abuser, racist, fascist and criminal fraud...

I really loved his new speech on how bad paracetamol is, it was such an eye opening moment for the medical and scientific community. Now they know the side-effects thanks to Trump.

We really need a laughing reaction icon.