I've Used the Wild Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, and Its Rear Screen Is Bonkers

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There's no escaping that the new Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max have a lot in common with Apple's latest iPhones. The naming conventions, for one thing, Xiaomi conveniently skipped a 16th version of its phones and went straight to calling its new one No. 17. To keep pace with Apple? I couldn't possibly say.

Then there's the design, with a rear bar that stretches across the top of the phone's back, much like the camera plateau on Apple's iPhone 17 Pro. Except that Xiaomi's bar is something radically different.

It's a second display tucked into each phone designed to act as a clock, a notifications panel or a photo preview for taking selfies with the rear camera. It echoes back to the 1.1-inch screen on the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. I'm not sure exactly what the best use is for it, and I don't even know if it's a feature I particularly want, but it's there, and maybe it'll be the next big thing.

The phones also have a brand-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, which will be the default chip on most flagship Android phones going into 2026.

Xiaomi took the wraps off its 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max at an event in Beijing, and while I've been able to get phones in my hand for early testing, they're running China-specific software right now, meaning my experience with the phones is limited. The phones will get a global release, likely toward the end of the year or early 2026 -- perhaps during CES 2026. Certainly, we expect the company to unveil the Xiaomi 17 Ultra (the update to the photography-focused Xiaomi 15 Ultra) at Mobile World Congress in late February.

Here's what struck me about the phone so far.

The Xiaomi 17 Pro has 2 displays

The second 2.66-inch screen on the back of the phone is certainly the standout addition here. Dual-screen phones aren't unique (especially if you consider the outer displays on foldables like the Galaxy Z Flip range), but they're certainly unusual to see on a candybar phone like this. Xiaomi says it serves several potential purposes: It can be a clock, show incoming notifications and even run video games.

In fact, Xiaomi made a case with game controller buttons embedded into the back. Attach it to the phone, and you can use the back screen to play some basic games. I haven't done this because I can't access the games, but it sounds nice in theory. But it also feels like a gimmick. The phone's main screen will also show me notifications, a clock and let me play actual mobile games on it.

This second display doesn't really appeal to me, at least right now, though I'm keen to see how it really fares when I eventually spend time with a European model of the phone. It may well prove to be a revolution that I simply can't live without. Or it will continue to feel like contrived and added simply to differentiate the phone from its rivals.

Xiaomi 14 Pro has solid cameras

I've briefly tested the cameras on a short walk on an arguably quite gray day in Glasgow, Scotland. The phone looks like it has two main cameras, but really, it's just two that matter. There's a main camera with a large sensor, a Leica lens and an f/1.6 aperture, and a telephoto camera that can achieve 5x optical zoom. On the 17 Pro Max, the telephoto houses a larger image sensor and a wider aperture -- if you want better quality zoom shots, that's the one to go for.

There's also an ultrawide camera, but it's weirdly housed in a small slit beneath the main camera unit, like a forgotten sibling being pushed out of the family portrait. Still, it took a decent test shot in my hands on time, and I'm sure it'll be fine for snaps.

I'll need to take many more images to come to a verdict about these cameras, but I expect them to be generally solid, as Xiaomi's camera phones tend to be. The hardware packed into these phones is more than capable of taking great-looking images, though if photography is a top priority for you, I'd advise waiting to see what the company's 17 Ultra has in store. The Ultra model is where Xiaomi packs its best photography tech, and I have high hopes for the next addition to the line.

The Xiaomi 17 Pro has the latest Qualcomm chip

Qualcomm has just revealed its latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, which is already stuffed inside Xiaomi's latest phones. The chip is expected to be a powerhouse for CPU-related tasks and gaming while also being more power-efficient. In fact, Qualcomm reckons the chip has 35% better power efficiency than its predecessor.

But it's also designed with AI tasks in mind, so expect the global versions to be packed with various AI tools, along with the usual Gemini Advanced and Circle to Search from Google. My Chinese model didn't have any tools I was able to fully take advantage of, nor was I able to install our usual benchmarks to see how this chip performs against rivals. I'll look forward to this at a later date.

Look out: massive battery inside

The 17 Pro Max model packs a whopping 7,500-mAh battery, one of the biggest cells I've seen stuffed inside a phone. Even with the addition of the second screen, I'd still expect the phone to easily last a full day and probably some way into the second. The smaller 17 Pro has a 6,300-mAh battery, which will still likely put up quite the fight.

Both phones support 100-watt wired charging, which will recharge the battery in a very short amount of time, as long as you have a compatible charger.

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