Xiaomi launches 17 Pro Max, delivering a familiar name and intriguing features

Second touchscreen display on the rear could attract users out of curiosity

Lei Jun, founder, chairman and chief executive of Xiaomi Group, during the unveiling of the Xiaomi 17 series in Beijing, China. EPA

Xiaomi has unveiled a smartphone line-up that bears a name strikingly similar to its major rival in Cupertino, California, but there is a twist that is causing people to give the Chinese devices a second look – literally.

The world's third-largest vendor of smartphones showed off the Xiaomi 17 series on Thursday, with its highest-end versions called the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max.

Those names sound very familiar, don't they?

Naming aside, there are some significant differences between the phones. We are taking this as Xiaomi sending a message to Apple, and to a certain extent, the makers of the Nothing phone.

The lowdown

To simplify things, we'll take a look at the Pro Max versions from Xiaomi and Apple, which are basically larger versions of their Pro counterparts.

Both phones have 6.9-inch (17.5cm) displays, making them sizeable flagships.

Cameras are in the same ballpark too, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max swinging three 48MP cameras , while the Xiaomi has three 50MP cameras.

But while Apple is talking up its 39 hours of battery life, with capacity of 5088mAh, the humongous 7500mAh battery on the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max could, in theory, hit 60 hours.

Where Xiaomi really has Apple beat is a new second display located on the rear camera block, using cut-outs to accommodate two of the lenses.

That screen, which Xiaomi calls Dynamic Back Display (dynamic; there goes another familiar name), is a touchscreen that has "customisable watch faces, AI wallpapers, virtual pets, dynamic information notifications, sticky notes and so much more", the company said.

That could prove to be a huge draw for users looking for a futuristic feel in their devices.

The 'competition'

Now, this isn't the first time we've seen a second display – and by display, we are including anything that shows any sort of information from a smartphone. Just ask ask those who have foldable devices, especially from Samsung Electronics.

And this is how we also drag Nothing into this; the UK-based company already has its own take displays other than the main ones with its famous glyphs (which were really toned down, yet we deemed more functional, in the Phone (3)).

We got our hands on the new iPhone 17 range - here's the unboxing

02:10

But probably the biggest call-back here is the YotaPhone, which ran through the mid-2010s and had a second screen on the back that used e-ink, similar to the Amazon Kindle line (didn't catch on).

The National hasn't tested the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, so it will be unfair to judge its Dynamic Back Display – and overall utility – without actually handling it.

For now, we can say a second screen can be good for maintaining more privacy for your phone, as you can simply flip the device over to see the latest notifications. Then again, we are still unclear on what information it will actually display.

Also, this whole thing, technically, has been on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flips for six years now.

But this, we can say for sure: Xiaomi's offering is a step up – a big one, for our money – when it comes to utilising the side of smartphones we tend to overlook.

And, of course, there is pricing. While the iPhone 17 series ranges from $799 to $1,599, Xiaomi's set runs from 4,499 yuan to 6,999 yuan, or $630 to $980 (up to their respective 1TB models, as Xiaomi doesn't have a 2TB version).

Xiaomi says their new devices will be available from Saturday. Its UAE website, however, makes no mention of availability as of the time of writing.

What's in a name?

Apple has used the Pro and Pro Max branding since the iPhone 11, and Max since the iPhone XS (that's "10-S", for those still confused). That means a total of seven Pro Maxes and eight Maxes from Apple.

And while this is the first time Xiaomi has used Pro Max, it has more than a hundred devices donning Pro on them. But overall, more than 1,000 smartphones have the Pro naming, according to data from GSMArena. Those with Max, meanwhile, are just a shade over 530.

Naturally, Xiaomi's decision to use designations mainly associated with Apple may cause some talk. However, Xiaomi has been candid that it has opted to name its devices 17 because it wants to keep up with Apple’s numbering.

Besides, this is not the first time something like this has happened. Redmi – also from Xiaomi – has already used the Note name, which was a Samsung tradition before it was discontinued in 2021. Xiaomi still uses the Note branding, with the latest released only last month.

There's no guarantee what comes next. Chinese manufacturers are known to avoid numbers that they consider unlucky, with some buildings not having a fourth floor, 14th floor or 24th floor and so on.