Xiaomi 17 Pro Review: iPhone Clone or Second Screen Revolution? Hands-On Test.
📱 First Impressions: Bold Move?
Xiaomi’s new 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, announced in September 2025, look awfully familiar.
Same naming scheme as Apple (Pro, Pro Max). Same flat edges. Even a UI with Apple-style icons and a Control Center. At first glance, you might think — “Wait, is this just an iPhone 17 copy?”
But dig deeper, and Xiaomi flips the script. These flagships don’t just imitate — they innovate. With record-breaking batteries, Snapdragon Elite Gen 5, and a game-changing rear display, the Xiaomi 17 series could be one of 2025’s most exciting launches.
📦 Unboxing the Xiaomi 17 Pro Series
Inside the tall retail box, Xiaomi proves it’s not following Apple’s “cut accessories” trend. Here’s what you get:
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100W fast charger (yes, in the box!)
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USB-C cable
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Protective frosted hard-shell case
Compared to Apple or Samsung’s eco-friendly-but-empty boxes, this feels like a premium win.
🎨 Design & Display: iPhone Clone With a Twist
At first glance, the Xiaomi 17 Pro screams iPhone. Flat edges, camera plateau, iOS-like icons. Some even joke Xiaomi’s next move is to rename their CEO “Tim.”
But Xiaomi’s wild card? The rear camera plateau doubles as a full-fledged second screen — not a gimmick, but a feature-packed display:
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3000 nits brightness
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1–120Hz adaptive refresh rate
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Gorilla Glass protection
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Touch responsive, just like the main screen
Both screens come with pre-applied protectors — a thoughtful touch Apple and Samsung ignore.
🔋 Battery Life: The Power Play
This is where Xiaomi shatters the “clone” narrative. Thanks to silicon-carbon battery tech, they fit massive capacity without making the phones bulky:
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Xiaomi 17 Pro → 6,300 mAh (25% more than iPhone 17 Pro Max & Samsung S25 Ultra)
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Xiaomi 17 Pro Max → 7,500 mAh (50% bigger!)
In real-world use, this means absurd endurance — all-day gaming, video editing, and AI tasks with juice to spare. And with 100W fast charging, you’re back to full in under 30 minutes.
⚡ Performance: Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 Leads the Charge
No compromises here:
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Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 chipset (first in the market)
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16GB LPDDR5X RAM
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UFS 4.0 blazing-fast storage
Benchmark results show it outpaces the Samsung S25 Ultra and other 2025 Android flagships. It gets warm under heavy gaming but avoids major throttling. Everyday navigation feels ultra-smooth, boosted by phenomenal haptics that even beat iOS in tactile feedback.
🖥️ The Rear Display: Gimmick or Genius?
The second display is the boldest part of Xiaomi’s design. But unlike past “gimmick phones,” it feels refined:
✅ What You Can Do With It:
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Personalization → Mechanical & digital clock faces, animated pets, AI-generated wallpapers (turn a photo into anime-style or plushie art).
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Notifications → Place your phone face-down and still see calls/texts — like Nothing Phone’s glyphs or Apple’s Dynamic Island, but visual.
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Music Control → Swipe down for a gorgeous mini-player, perfect for parties.
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Pinned Notes & QR Codes → Circle a text or photo and turn it into a permanent reminder.
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Camera Power-Up → The biggest win.
📸 Cameras: Selfies Redefined
The triple rear cameras deliver flagship results:
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Sharp details rivaling iPhone 17 Pro Max
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Excellent dynamic range
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Reliable ultra-wide and zoom performance
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8K selfie video via the rear screen viewfinder
Since you use the main cameras for selfies, Xiaomi instantly outclasses every other phone’s front camera. Switching between screens is seamless, with swipe gestures eliminating accidental touches.
🎮 Fun Extras: Novel or Necessary?
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Gaming Case → A custom clip-on controller that turns the back screen into a 3-inch gaming console. Cool demo, but niche in practice.
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Photo Booth Collage Mode → Take multiple shots and instantly create Polaroid-style collages.
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Custom Animations → Over-the-top but surprisingly polished.
✅ Pros & Cons
Pros:
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Huge batteries (6,300–7,500 mAh) + 100W charging
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Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 performance with 16GB RAM
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Rear screen adds personalization + practical camera use
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Premium design, lighter than iPhone 17 Pro Max
Cons:
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UI leans too heavily on iOS imitation
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Beauty filters tuned for Chinese market skin tones
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Rear screen’s notifications/calls need refinement
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Gaming case is fun but not essential
🏆 Verdict: Imitation or Innovation?
Yes, Xiaomi clearly leans into Apple’s branding — but instead of feeling like a knockoff, the Xiaomi 17 Pro & Pro Max feel like statement phones.
With giant batteries, record-breaking charging, next-gen performance, and the most useful secondary screen yet, Xiaomi proves that imitation and innovation can coexist.
If priced around ₹60,000–₹70,000 in India, these phones could be the flagship steal of 2025.
👉 What do you think? Is Xiaomi’s rear-screen revolution the future of smartphones, or just a flashy marketing stunt? Let us know in the comments below!