Xiaomi’s newest flagship renders the iPhone 17 appear antiquated.

Not the Xiaomi 15T Pro that has just debuted, although that’s remarkable too. The emphasis is on the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, the latest premier offering from the Chinese technology leader. This ultra-powerful flagship is equipped with a state-of-the-art Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset and an impressive 7,500mAh battery, but the highlight is a secondary display located on the camera plateau at the rear of the device. A visual effects artist recently showcased how striking an iPhone with a rear display could appear, but Xiaomi has made that idea a reality.

Moreover, Xiaomi is evidently taking a stand against Apple by leaping from the Xiaomi 15 to 17, branding it the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. The latest Xiaomi flagship even mirrors something that Apple could (or arguably should) have conceptualized.

In a press statement unveiling the flagship, Xiaomi declared:

Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max present a groundbreaking dual-screen design that fuses elegant aesthetics with intuitive, smart functionality. The Dynamic Back Display enhances lifestyle and productivity across various settings: customizable watch faces, AI wallpapers, virtual pets, dynamic information alerts, sticky notes, and much more.

However, there’s a drawback: The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is not expected to be available in the United States anytime soon. Xiaomi generally concentrates on the Chinese market for such launches. Nonetheless, it’s fascinating to appreciate and desire.

That compact 2.9-inch display boasts a 120Hz refresh rate and can be utilized to frame selfies taken with the rear camera, interact with applications, or even engage in mobile gaming. The sizable battery is likely essential, considering the phone features two 120Hz displays, including the 6.9-inch front screen. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is also the most robust Android chipset currently on the market. In fact, no commercially available smartphone in the U.S. utilizes it yet. The forthcoming OnePlus 15 is expected to be the first to arrive in North America, likely in November.

As for additional specifications, the new Xiaomi flagship comes with three 50MP cameras on the back and a 50MP lens on the front. It also provides up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage.

Not everyone appreciates the camera plateau on the new iPhones, but if they featured screens, perceptions might alter.