Xiaomi officially reveals Xiaomi 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max with new "Magic Back Screen" secondary display

After accidentally leaking and then taking down the design of their upcoming Xiaomi 17 Pro/Pro Max series, the company has now officially shown the new dual-screen Xiaomi 17 Pro smartphones in a short teaser video on Weibo. The design borrows from phones like the new Apple iPhone 17 Pro and the flip devices like the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the Motorolla Razr.

The Xiaomi 17 Pro and the bigger Xiaomi 17 Pro Max both feature an enlarged camera island on the back that almost covers the entire width of the device. However, unlike the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max, this camera island doesn’t just house the rear shooters, but also a second display. 

Xiaomi calls this second screen the “Magic Back Screen” and the official teaser video confirms that the back display seamlessly wraps around the two rear cameras.

While we don’t know the full capabilities of the secondary display, the teaser shows a few things like different clock faces and what appears to be a camera viewfinder. Both of these are pretty much no-brainers as we’ve seen with almost every Galaxy Flip-style folding phone. What we are more curious about are the hidden features of the “Magic Back Screen” secondary display that Xiaomi will most likely show at its official full unveiling of the Xiaomi 17 series.

For fans who haven’t been following the Xiaomi 17 series, the company previously confirmed that it is skipping the “Xiaomi 16” branding to directly position the upcoming smartphones against the Apple iPhone 17 series. Puzzlingly enough, the Xiaomi 17 Pro, which we would expect to be a replacement of the Xiaomi 15 Pro, is instead the compact successor to the Xiaomi 15 (Available on Amazon), while the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is following up the Xiaomi 15 Pro.

The vanilla Xiaomi 17 will serve as the entry into the flagship lineup and is expected to ship without the Magic Back Screen. This makes sense, since Xiaomi is positioning the phone as a “standard flagship”, quoting Xiaomi President Lu Weibing, that brings enhancements without a price increase.

The Xiaomi 17, the Xiaomi 17 Pro, and the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max are set to debut this month with the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, Leica-branded triple rear cameras, and bigger batteries. Leaks have also pointed to thinner bezels and some major camera upgrades. Sadly, fans of Xiaomi’s heavyweight “Ultra” phone will have to wait till 2026, as the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is expected to skip September’s Xiaomi 17 launch and land some time next year.