The Xiaomi 17 shows Apple how to use the camera plateaux – it's just a shame you can't buy it (yet)
This looks like a killer Android phone
Quick Summary
Xiaomi might have Apple in its sights, but it's also got a lot more tech to play with.
The brand has showcased a rear display for its 17 Pro and Pro Max models.
Xiaomi has clearly had Apple in its sights while designing its next range of phones. The Android phone range is said to skip a generation to more closely align with Apple, and is also changing its naming convention to go toe-to-toe.
Still, recently showcased official images might suggest they have something to shout about. As shared by The Verge, the brand's Pro and Pro Max variants look set to employ a small display on the camera bump at the rear of the device.
It's a lot like the cover displays we see on flip phones like the Motorola Razr and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7. Those wrap around the camera units, and this does the same thing, offering a sleek looking design.
It looks set to be quite usable, too. The materials supplied by Xiaomi show it being used like a mirror to frame selfies with the more powerful rear camera, and to showcase widgets – we see flight tracking in action, for example.
But by far the coolest application is using it as the screen for an unofficial Game Boy. Yes, you read that right – paired with an official Xiaomi case complete with physical control buttons, the rear display becomes a gaming console all its own.
It's a really interesting way of maximising the wasted space, and I'm here for it. While it certainly won't be to everyone's taste, I think it makes a lot of sense in real world use.
It's not dissimilar to the Matrix Glyph we see on the Nothing Phone (3), either, though I think this is much more useful. Users would have access to a pretty full suite of notifications and widgets, rather than the quirky dot matrix toys of the Nothing handset.
