Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max Revealed with Rear Displays and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

Xiaomi has officially introduced the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, two flagship smartphones designed to challenge Apple’s newly released iPhone 17 lineup. The devices are the first handsets confirmed to ship with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, announced earlier this week, and they distinguish themselves with secondary AMOLED displays integrated into the rear camera module.

Skipping a Generation to Align with Apple

Details for the Xiaomi 17 series appeared on the company’s Chinese website, with Xiaomi President Lu Weibing confirming that the firm skipped the “16” branding to synchronize its naming scheme with Apple. While much of the core specification mirrors the iPhone 17, Xiaomi is betting on dual-screen functionality to set its products apart.

Rear Screen Brings New Utility

The Xiaomi 17 Pro’s rear display measures 2.7 inches with a resolution of 904 × 572 pixels. Functionally, it acts much like an Apple Watch integrated into the back of the phone, supporting a variable refresh rate between 1 Hz and 120 Hz. When idle, it shows a minimalist clock, but it can also display notifications, music controls, QR codes, and call information.

One standout feature is its rear selfie viewfinder, which allows users to leverage the phone’s main camera system for self-portraits—an upgrade in quality compared with conventional front-facing cameras.

Gaming and Custom Accessories

In a more unconventional use case, Xiaomi has designed a Game Boy–inspired protective case that incorporates a physical D-pad and buttons directly beneath the rear display cutout. Promotional material demonstrates the setup running games like Angry Birds, though the screen’s resolution makes it particularly suited for retro emulation.

Hardware and Specifications

The Xiaomi 17 Pro features a 6.3-inch AMOLED primary display with a 1–120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, a 50 MP telephoto camera, and a 6,300 mAh battery with fast charging. It can be configured with up to 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1 TB of storage.

The larger Xiaomi 17 Pro Max increases the front display size to 6.9 inches, expands the rear screen to 2.9 inches, and upgrades the battery to 7,500 mAh.

Availability and Pricing

Pricing begins at approximately $700 for the Xiaomi 17 Pro and $840 for the Pro Max, with both models set to launch later this month in China. Xiaomi has yet to confirm international release plans.