Xiaomi 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max Launched: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Innovative Secondary Displays

Xiaomi just pulled back the curtain on its new premium smartphones, the Xiaomi 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. Instead of going foldable, Xiaomi took a different path. Both phones feature a striking secondary screen on the back. This screen fully covers the large camera module, showing information in fresh and creative ways. It’s a design choice that certainly gets people talking, standing out from the crowd.

The Xiaomi 17 Pro: A Compact Powerhouse

This year, Xiaomi is offering the 17 Pro as its second compact flagship. It sports a unique 2.7-inch screen on its backside. This small display has a sharp 904 x 572 pixel resolution. It also boasts a smooth 120 Hz refresh rate and a bright 3,500 Nit display. Plus, it uses DC Dimming technology for quick and easy brightness control.

This extra screen is more than just a novelty. You can use it for taking selfies with the powerful rear cameras. It also lets you control music, act as a stopwatch, or quickly see messages and incoming calls. Owners can even pick custom wallpapers or add a special case. This case can transform the phone into a cool retro game console.

The front of the 17 Pro features a 6.3-inch AOLED display with LTPO tech. This main screen adjusts its refresh rate from 1 Hz to 120 Hz, depending on what you’re doing. It matches the secondary screen’s impressive 3,500 Nit brightness and DC Dimming. Xiaomi has protected this main display with its tough Dragon Crystal Glass.

Under the hood, the 17 Pro packs Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. This chip is built using a 3nm process and can hit speeds up to 4.6 GHz. It works with speedy LPDDR5X RAM, offered in 12 GB or 16 GB sizes. Storage options include UFS 4.1 at 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB. Keeping things cool is a large 4,637 mm² vapor chamber. This helps the phone perform its best without overheating.

A 6,300 mAh silicon battery powers this strong hardware. It supports super-fast 100 W wired charging and 50 W wireless charging. You can also share power with other devices at 22.5 W. A special Surge G2 chip manages power, helping the battery stay at over 80% capacity even after 2,000 charge cycles.

For photography, the Xiaomi 17 Pro comes with a versatile camera setup:

A 50-megapixel main camera with a Leica Summilux lens. It uses a Light Fusion 950L sensor (1/1.28 inch) and captures an impressive 16.5 stops of light. The aperture is f/1.67, and it has OIS for steady shots.
A 50-megapixel zoom camera offers 5x lossless zoom. It has an f/3.0 aperture, OIS, and can take macro photos from 20 centimeters away.
There’s also a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera, capturing a wide 102-degree view.
A new 3D ToF (Time-of-Flight) sensor helps with depth perception.
The selfie camera gets an upgrade to 50 megapixels for clearer self-portraits.

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max: Bigger and Bolder

If you want more screen and power, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max steps up from its Pro sibling. It features an expansive 6.9-inch OLED LTPO display on the front. This larger screen supports 12-bit color, boasts 3,500 Nit brightness, and includes DC Dimming for smooth viewing.

The secondary screen on the Pro Max is also larger, measuring 2.9 inches. It has a resolution of 976 x 596 pixels. This means it’s bigger than the secondary screen found on the Xiaomi 11 Ultra from four years ago.

Processing power comes from the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. It pairs with LPDDR5X RAM (12 GB or 16 GB) and UFS 4.1 storage (512 GB or 1 TB). To handle the increased power, the Pro Max uses an even larger vapor chamber for cooling, at 5,533 mm².

The 17 Pro Max also comes with a bigger 7,500 mAh battery. It shares the same charging features: 100 W HyperCharge wired charging, 50 W wireless charging, and 22.5 W reverse wireless charging.

For photos, the Pro Max shares the 50-megapixel main, ultrawide, and selfie cameras with the 17 Pro. However, its 50-megapixel zoom camera gets a boost with a Samsung ISOCELL GN8 sensor (1/2 inch). This camera still offers 5x lossless zoom, but with a wider f/2.6 aperture. It can also do macro shots from 30 centimeters away.

Both the Xiaomi 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are built to withstand the elements, sporting an IP68 water resistance rating. The 17 Pro can handle being submerged in 4 meters of fresh water. The Pro Max goes even further, protecting against water at depths of up to 6 meters.