Xiaomi 17 Pro Max Review: A Dual-Screen Flagship That Pushes the Limits

Introduction and Specs

Xiaomi has skipped a number and jumped straight from the 15 series to the new Xiaomi 17 lineup, clearly taking aim at Apple’s iPhone 17 series. The star of the show is the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, a brand-new addition that serves as a spiritual successor to the Xiaomi 15 Pro—only bigger, bolder, and far more ambitious.

Our review focuses on the Chinese variant, as the global model hasn’t been announced yet. That means some features, especially on the software side, could differ when it eventually makes its way to international markets. We picked up our review unit from a Mi Store in China, but many third-party resellers are already offering gray imports for those who can’t wait.

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max currently sits at the top of the series, at least until the Ultra model arrives. It features a 6.9-inch LTPO OLED display, slightly larger than the 6.73-inch screen on last year’s Xiaomi 15 Pro. But that’s not the real showstopper here—the real surprise lies on the back.

Yes, Xiaomi is bringing back the secondary display—a 2.9-inch LTPO OLED panel with flagship-grade specs and a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s a bold move that helps the 17 Pro Max stand out in a market filled with look-alike flagships. Interestingly, Xiaomi has tried this before with the Mi 11 Ultra, but the new implementation feels far more refined, useful, and integrated into the design.Design

Aside from the eye-catching secondary display, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max sticks to a tried-and-tested formula—a glass front and back with a metal frame in between. The front is protected by Xiaomi’s Dragon Glass 3, a tough, ceramic-infused material that the brand claims is highly durable.

The back panel is made of fiberglass, similar to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, and both the frame and rear have a smooth matte finish. It feels premium in hand, though a bit slippery. Thankfully, the frosted glass does a great job of hiding fingerprints—especially on our black review unit.

The phone is IP68-certified for water and dust resistance, and Xiaomi even promises it can survive submersion up to 6 meters for 30 minutes—better than what the standard certification guarantees.

You also get an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner under the display, now powered by Goodix’s latest sensor. It works quickly, even through screen protectors, fixing one of the biggest complaints about older ultrasonic readers.

Display

Both displays—the massive 6.9-inch front panel and the 2.9-inch rear one—are LTPO OLEDs with 120Hz refresh rate, 12-bit color depth, and full support for HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HDR Vivid. They’re completely flat with ultra-slim bezels, making the device look sleek and modern.

The rear screen may sound like a gimmick, but Xiaomi hasn’t compromised on quality. It’s perfect for quick info, notifications, or using the main camera for selfies. The front display offers 1200 x 2608px resolution, while the rear one packs 596 x 976px.

Brightness is another area where Xiaomi impresses—manual brightness hits 600 nits, while automatic mode can boost to over 1,000 nits across most of the screen and up to 3,500 nits peak on smaller highlights. The result? Excellent outdoor visibility and stunning HDR performance.

Battery Life

Under the hood, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max packs a massive 7,500 mAh battery—a first for Xiaomi’s Pro Max line—powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. Despite being the first device we’ve tested with this SoC, battery performance is incredible.

In our tests, it achieved an Active Use Score of 20 hours and 50 minutes, putting it among the best performers we’ve ever seen, just behind the Oppo Find X9 Pro. Clearly, Xiaomi’s optimizations with the chipset, display, and HyperOS software are paying off.

Charging Speed

Charging is another highlight. The phone supports 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, both using Xiaomi’s proprietary tech. Despite the giant battery, it charges from 0 to 100% in just 39 minutes, faster than many rivals with smaller cells.

Even when using a standard 100W PD + PPS charger, the phone completed a full charge in 48 minutes, proving that you don’t always need Xiaomi’s HyperCharge adapter for top speeds. That’s a huge win for practicality.

Software

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max runs HyperOS 3.0 based on Android 16, making it one of the first devices to ship with the latest software. Xiaomi hasn’t confirmed global update support yet, but if history repeats, expect four major OS updates and six years of security patches.

However, since this is the Chinese ROM, there are some limitations. You only get English and Chinese languages, and several Google features like Android Auto, Google Discover, and QuickShare won’t work out of the box. Fortunately, you can still sideload Google Play via Xiaomi’s GetApps store and get most Google apps running—including Gemini and Wallet—with a bit of tweaking.

Still, this isn’t a full “global” Android experience, so those who prefer a Westernized interface might want to wait for the international version.

Performance

Performance-wise, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 delivers top-tier results, but thermal management could be better. During stress testing, CPU performance dropped to around 50% after 10 minutes, while GPU stability remained around 60%. It’s not terrible, but not the best for extended gaming sessions either.

Cameras

The camera setup gets a few subtle tweaks from last year’s model. The main 50MP Light Fusion 950L sensor with Leica Summilux optics is new and larger but has a slightly smaller aperture. The telephoto camera also uses a bigger sensor thanks to a redesigned prism layout, though it too has a narrower aperture.

The ultrawide camera is a minor downgrade on paper—it has a tighter field of view and smaller aperture—but it retains autofocus. The biggest upgrade, however, is in the selfie department. Xiaomi finally replaces its long-running 32MP shooter with a new 50MP camera with autofocus.

Ironically, though, you might not even use it much—because that rear display makes it super easy to take high-quality selfies using the main cameras.

Verdict

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is a powerhouse that nails nearly every aspect of a flagship smartphone. It’s got a gorgeous display, fantastic battery life, blazing-fast charging, premium build, great speakers, and solid all-around performance. The rear display is the cherry on top, offering both style and functionality.

That said, it’s not perfect. The camera system, while good, doesn’t quite hit “best-in-class” status, especially with the telephoto lens falling short of expectations.

Still, if you want a feature-packed flagship that looks different and performs like a beast, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is one of the most exciting phones of 2025.