What you need to know
- Rumors claim that Xiaomi is looking to upgrade the dynamic rear display for its upcoming 18 Pro.
- This screen could reach 4 inches, instead of 2.6 inches like those of the 17 Pro and Pro Max.
- It was mentioned that this screen could have “higher brightness” and there is a possibility that “privacy protection” could also improve this rear screen.
- Xiaomi President Lu Weibing was on a livestream shortly after the Series 17 debuted, stating that it broke pre-order records and that the brand would look to replicate this rear screen design on future devices.
Xiaomi is coming off the back of a pretty flashy flagship phone, and now rumors say its next version could keep the train moving.
This week, a tipster on Chinese social media platform Weibo posted alleged details about Xiaomi’s upcoming 18 Pro (via GSMArena). Tipster Smart Pikachu claims that the OEM is working on a successor to the 17 Pro with a 4-inch display on its rear panel. It seems that the aesthetics of this screen could remain the same, as the publication claims that Xiaomi will integrate “large rounded corners” (automatically translated).
What’s more, the tipster speculates that the Xiaomi 18 Pro could feature a dynamic RGB rear display with “high brightness” and “high PPI.” This last bit is based on resolution. A higher PPI could help make for a higher resolution, sharper and more detailed display. Perhaps Xiaomi is trying to make its rear screen similar to the phone’s front screen in appearance only.
The tipster’s post mentioned a more interesting possibility: “privacy protection.” It is unclear what this could mean. There is a chance that the tipster says this in a similar way to Samsung’s privacy screen, but for the rear screen. Some users in the comments wonder if this could also be the case, but nothing is confirmed.
It is a “magic” external screen
Xiaomi’s 17 series was significant as it was the first set of phones to present Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The company didn’t hold back with the 17 Pro and Pro Max. The base Xiaomi 17 was pretty standard, with a compact 6.3-inch display and a square camera housing. It was the other two, the Pro models, that presented their new 2.6-inch dynamic rear screen. This display offered dynamic alerts, AI wallpapers, custom clock faces, virtual pets, and more.
Most phones don’t do this anymore. You can include foldables in the equation here, but those are folding. Xiaomi’s 17 Pro and Pro Max were so attractive that sales records shattered. Xiaomi President Lu Weibing held a livestream after the launch of the series, stating that the phones broke records minutes after they were released for pre-orders.
While both the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max feature the dynamic rear display, the latter shined brighter. During this report it was stated that Xiaomi plans to replicate this design in future flagships after such a positive reception. With this, the rumors about the 18 Pro with an improved dynamic rear display are not so surprising.
Android Central’s opinion
The dynamic rear screen of Xiaomi phones is great. It’s like merging that flip cover viewing experience with a flat phone. It also seems like there are two ways to make an external display: either you go all-in like the Xiaomi 17 Pro/Pro Max or you go more minimalist like Nothing’s Glyph Matrix. Each one has its charm and each one gets the job done in different ways. These rumors only talk about the Xiaomi 17 Pro, but I’m almost sure that the next Pro Max would have the same, considering that the company is looking to replicate the success.
