Xiaomi has officially confirmed that its upcoming flagship family will include the Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max, with the Pro Max standing out as the most experimental device of the trio. Skipping the number 16 to align its naming with Apple, Xiaomi is also taking a bold step in design by reviving one of its most ambitious ideas: the rear display. A leaked image, briefly posted on Xiaomi’s official Weibo before being pulled, shows the Pro Max with a secondary screen embedded into the large camera module – instantly drawing comparisons to the iconic Mi 11 Ultra from 2021.
From an industrial design perspective, the rear screen dramatically alters the way the back of the phone is perceived. Rather than just a housing for lenses and sensors, the camera island transforms into a multi-purpose module, blending photography with utility. In the Mi 11 Ultra, the mini rear AMOLED was mainly pitched as a tool for selfies using the main cameras and for checking notifications when the phone was face down. With the 17 Pro Max, the concept looks more polished: the render shows a clock interface, hinting at more versatile uses such as always-on display elements, camera framing, or even music controls, all without needing to light up the main 6.8-inch front display.
Utility is the key differentiator here. While the Mi 11 Ultra’s rear screen was often described as a gimmick, Xiaomi has had years to refine the software side. A rear-facing display makes particular sense now with the growing demand for high-quality selfies and video content: creators can frame shots with the main Leica-tuned cameras instead of relying on smaller front sensors. It also enables quick glances at time, battery, or incoming notifications in situations where flipping the phone over would be inconvenient. Combined with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, the Pro Max clearly aims to be not just another iterative upgrade, but a phone that rethinks how surfaces on a handset can be used.
Design parallels with Apple’s naming and Samsung’s Ultra positioning are clear, but Xiaomi’s Pro Max is carving its own identity through this rear-display boldness. It reintroduces a design philosophy we haven’t seen widely adopted in the industry: every surface should have a function. Where the Mi 11 Ultra hinted at this future but never fully realized it, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max may finally deliver a convincing case for rear displays in smartphones. The gamble is whether consumers will see it as a breakthrough or a niche flourish—but in either case, it makes the Pro Max the most talked-about Xiaomi design in years.
via Gizmochina