Xiaomi has officially teased its upcoming Xiaomi 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, unveiling a bold new design that introduces a secondary display on the back, called the “Magic Back Screen.” The teaser shows that this rear display is far more advanced than Xiaomi’s earlier attempt with the Mi 11 Ultra’s small panel, offering customizable clock styles, app notifications, selfie previewing with the main cameras, and vibrant animations.
The company skipped the “16” branding entirely to go head-to-head with Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup, and the new design clearly mirrors the industry trend of large rectangular rear camera islands. However, Xiaomi takes it further by adding a functional screen that could provide practical benefits without needing to unlock the phone.
Under the hood, the Xiaomi 17 series is set to be the first powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which launches next week. Battery performance is also taking a major leap, with the standard 17 Pro expected to feature a 7,000mAh pack and the Pro Max rumored to reach 7,500mAh. Combined with the cutting-edge chip and innovative design, the Xiaomi 17 lineup is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious smartphone releases of the year.