It's Official: Xiaomi 17 series will bring a 'magic' external display to Android users

What you need to know

• Xiaomi's latest post on Weibo confirms the 17 series with a teaser video showing off its external display.
• The company confirms that its 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max will feature the "magic back screen" (machine-translated) with multiple uses.
• Xiaomi's head, Lu Weibing, recently confirmed that the series will feature a 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max for its launch "this month."

Earlier this morning (Sep 16), Xiaomi officially started pushing its next flagship series with a mysterious teaser showing off its design.

Xiaomi's official Weibo account (Chinese) posted the teaser trailer for its upcoming 17 series, which was highlighted by Ice Universe on X. The company teases that the Xiaomi 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are equipped with its new "magic back screen" (machine-translated). The teaser opens with the phone on the horizon, showing off its rounded corners and flat sides.

After flipping over, we're presented with its large external display on its back panel, which houses two camera lenses, though one is rumored to sit under that, too.

Xiaomi's video illuminates the "magic back screen," giving us a few examples of future uses. It seems the Chinese OEM intends for the display to be used as a clock, perhaps for music, photography, and more. The end of the clip flashes the "Xiaomi 17 Pro" name, further confirming that the Pro and Pro Max will feature this external display, not just a camera array on its back.

Xiaomi states, officially, that it intends to launch the 17 series "this month" in September.

From leaks to confirmation

We just wrapped up a round of Xiaomi 17 series leaks yesterday (Sep 15), as a tipster on Weibo spotted the company's profile icon change. Xiaomi changed its profile to a model from the upcoming 17 series, proudly showing off its external display. The screen back there resembles what you'd find on a foldable device, especially as it fully encompasses its cameras, like a clamshell phone.

A statement by Xiaomi's head, Lu Weibing, was also highlighted yesterday, as a post by them on Weibo confirmed the new series will rock the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Moreover, we're expecting three devices: a Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max. What's funny is that this external screen idea on a slab phone is something Xiaomi tried years ago with the Mi 11 Ultra.

That device sported an external screen, though it was quite tiny and vertical on the right side of its horizontal camera housing. Now, in 2025, it seems Xiaomi is leveraging some of that foldable tech for a display that's much larger and more immersive, capable of displaying elements from across its mobile OS. Following Xiaomi's assumed September launch confirmation, we have roughly two weeks before the 17 series launches, ideally.