This phone has a special feature on the back — and it's not the cameras

Larger batteries, extremely thin bodies, trifold phones. Manufacturers are currently attempting to keep the almost perfected concept of a smartphone exciting through innovation. One feature we've seen quite often in the past is a display on the back.

Advantages of a rear secondary display

Xiaomi is making yet another attempt with such a screen, namely in the 17 series, which is not (yet) available globally. We recently took a closer look at the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max and examined this unusual feature. The most important use is probably its function as a viewfinder for the rear camera. This allows you to take selfies or videos with the high-quality rear camera and see yourself while doing so. 

Xiaomi also uses the display for notifications, which makes sense if the phone is lying face down on a table, for example. Otherwise, it can display the time and has some always-on display (AoD) functions, such as a pedometer.

The future of the second screen on the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is unclear

However, the question is whether developers will actually design their own widgets for the second screen or whether there will be other forms of support. Sure, Xiaomi is a major manufacturer and the 17 series will certainly sell well. However, since the Pro models (the only ones with the second screen) will probably not be released worldwide and only represent a few models in the manufacturer's vast portfolio, it's questionable just how much the company will invest into this feature in the future.

It may be possible to adapt apps that have been customized for foldables, but at the moment there are hardly any applications for which the second screen would really add value.

Is the 17 Pro Max still a good smartphone?

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is a great phone and can be found for just under $1,090 as a direct import from TradingShenzhen. Whether you should buy it because of the second screen depends on whether you take selfies and selfie videos with your phone often.

Interested buyers can read more about the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max in our detailed review.