Think The iPhone 17 Pro’s ‘Plateau’ Is Boring Here’s A Better Phone

Select Language:

The large camera bump on the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro has sparked divided opinions, but looking at the Android market, a few brands have already experimented with such a bold design years earlier. Xiaomi, in particular, has been exploring similar concepts, and it appears the company is returning to this idea with a fresh and innovative approach.

So, what exactly is this device?

Xiaomi has released official images and a teaser showcasing its new flagship, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. The silhouette bears a striking resemblance to the iPhone 17 Pro, which isn’t surprising—Xiaomi has a history of drawing inspiration from Apple. One could even say they’ve been known to mimic certain design elements.

A notable feature is the new camera setup. Unlike traditional phones, the entire rear plateau transforms into a secondary display when illuminated. This area, which hosts two floating camera lenses similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Motorola’s latest foldables, appears to be more than just a design statement; it’s an interactive element.

When lit, the whole camera bump resembles a large display, offering a novel aesthetic touch for high-end smartphones. Xiaomi seems to be emphasizing this secondary screen as an eye-catching but functional design feature. It could serve more than just for visual flair, potentially acting as a camera viewfinder or a customizable watch face, given the variety of watch-style faces already available.

Is this Xiaomi’s first attempt at such a design? Not exactly. Back in 2022, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra featured a huge camera bump that nearly matched the size of the device’s body. It housed three lenses, including a periscope-style 120x zoom, and a small 1.1-inch OLED display on the back—one of the earliest phones to experiment with secondary screens.

Despite the small size, clever community-driven projects managed to mirror the Android UI on this tiny rear display, turning it into a mini secondary interface—a fun and innovative twist that, however, Xiaomi didn’t pursue further.

Fast forward to 2025, and Xiaomi seems ready to revive and amp up this concept. The new Xiaomi 17 Pro promises to be a flagship with top-tier camera features, a sizable battery, and Qualcomm’s latest flagship processor. It’s expected to launch later this month, although it’s unlikely to arrive in the U.S. market anytime soon.