Not your typical phone: this is the boldest smartphone idea of 2025

Even Nothing, a company built around visual style and novelty, relies on LED patterns rather than an actual rear screen.

You could mention foldables here as they technically offer secondary displays, but the form factor is completely different and these come with their own set of compromises.

That's why I appreciate that Xiaomi adds something new without asking you to change how use a regular smartphone.

Personalization

Xiaomi also went the extra mile with personalization.I'm talking way beyond basic widgets. The company definitely paid attention to details: you have mechanical clock faces, minimalist designs, step counters and animated characters. All visuals are high-resolution and feel a lot like those on a premium smartwatch.

You can also build your own designs from the ground up. You can choose your own text, fonts, colors and layouts. I also love how Xiaomi lets you generate AI animated backgrounds tailored to the rear screen size. Some third-party accessory would never go into that much detail, but Xiaomi does, and I love it. It's the perfect example of ambitious hardware meeting software at the same ambition level.

It helps detox from your main screen too

Xiaomi speaks of this rear display as a physical alternative to the iPhone's Dynamic Island or Samsung's Now Bar. Instead of using the main screen for quick information, it lives on the back of the device.

The rear display on the Xiaomi can also show music controls, pinned notes, reminders, images, QR codes and some lightweight widgets. This actually works great in social environments where you can just glance at the phone without fully distracting yourself.

Notifications and timers are still evolving, and this is one of the weaker areas for now. Timers work well, but the wider app integration feels unfinished. Still, this is a great first step and a strong foundation for the future.

A transformative camera experience

The real killer feature, however, is the camera experience. This is where the rear display stops being a fun gimmick and becomes transformative.

You can use this secondary screen as a full camera viewfinder, meaning you can use the powerful main camera for selfies and video. You can access it pretty much all via the small screen: portrait mode, zoom levels, the ultra-wide camera, and even 8K video. 

The quality difference compared to traditional front cameras is quite noticeable. Gesture handling is also nicely optimized to reduce accidental touches.

This single use case already justifies the hardware for me.

Some experiments push too far

Not everything about this small screen is essential, though. Xiaomi went as far as to create a bespoke controller case that turns the rear display into a tiny gaming console. It works surprisingly well from a technical standpoint, but it is clearly not practical.

That said, this kind of experimentation reinforces the larger point. Xiaomi is willing to try things simply because they can, not because market research says it is safe.

A real vision for the future

The Mi 11 Ultra introduced the idea of a rear display, but it felt like a test. The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max turns that test into a statement.

The company has moved on from bragging about specs and numbers. It is now about changing how a phone can be used, especially for cameras, for quick interactions and for some new ways of personalization.