Phones have long been judged by how closely they follow one another, and here a newly released Chinese flagship turns its back to an Apple design, a full-width camera plateau, and a similar six-point-nine-inch screen. The comparison invites a larger question about whether a rival earns attention by copying the familiar or by adding something the familiar lacks, and in this case the answer lies partly in a small secondary display on the rear. Its price, quoted in yuan and converted with some uncertainty into rupees, suggests that for many buyers the decision will rest less on the shape of the g
Xiaomi 17 Pro Max Takes On iPhone 17 Pro Max With Rear Display and Lower Price
The camera plateau stretches across the full width of the back
Mark
Why is this comparison getting attention at all? Phones get compared constantly.
Mimi
Because the Xiaomi looks so much like the iPhone from behind. Both have a camera plateau across the full width of the back, and both have 6.9-inch screens.
Mark
So what's actually different?
Mimi
The rear display. Xiaomi's M10 Magic Back Screen lets you take selfies with the main camera, play games and media, and set alarms.
Luke
Worth saying that's from the product description. The piece doesn't test how well it works.
Mark
And the price gap?
Mimi
The iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at Rs 149,900 in India. Xiaomi's base model is CNY 5,999, roughly Rs 74,700.
Luke
But that's a conversion, not an Indian price, and the article says India could be slightly higher. Also, the base models differ: 256GB versus 512GB.
Mark
Does the article settle which phone is better?
Luke
No. It calls the Xiaomi powerful, but gives no benchmarks, and the camera and battery comparison promised up top isn't in the text.
Mimi
So the thing to watch is the official India price and launch.
Der Puls
- Xiaomi's 17 Pro Max looks almost identical to Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max, and that resemblance sets up a head-to-head fight for the same buyers.
- A secondary M10 'Magic Back Screen' on the rear gives Xiaomi a feature Apple's phone does not match, opening a clear point of difference.
- Xiaomi's base price converts to roughly Rs 74,700, about half the iPhone's Rs 149,900 entry price in India, though the storage tiers do not line up.
- Indian pricing is still unconfirmed and may come in higher than the straight currency conversion, so the real gap remains an open question.
- Key specs such as brightness, refresh rate, camera, and battery remain largely unverified for Xiaomi, leaving the comparison incomplete until official India pricing and details arrive.
Phones have long been judged by how closely they follow one another, and here a newly released Chinese flagship turns its back to an Apple design, a full-width camera plateau, and a similar six-point-nine-inch screen. The comparison invites a larger question about whether a rival earns attention by copying the familiar or by adding something the familiar lacks, and in this case the answer lies partly in a small secondary display on the rear. Its price, quoted in yuan and converted with some uncertainty into rupees, suggests that for many buyers the decision will rest less on the shape of the glass than on what it costs to hold it.
Turn the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max over and the first thing you notice is how familiar it looks. Its camera plateau runs the full width of the back, the same choice Apple made on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which arrived only recently. Xiaomi has now released its newest flagship, and the comparison with Apple's phone is hard to avoid.
On the front the two phones share common ground. Both have 6.9-inch screens. The iPhone's display offers 120Hz refresh and 3,000 nits of peak brightness, while the source gives no comparable figures for the Xiaomi, so those things cannot yet be weighed against each other.
The real departure is on the back. Xiaomi has built in a secondary display called the M10, which it calls the Magic Back Screen. It lets users take selfies with the main rear camera and also handles games, media, and alarms. Apple's phone has nothing like it in this comparison.
Price draws the sharpest line. In India the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at Rs 149,900 for 256GB. Xiaomi's base model, with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, costs CNY 5,999, roughly Rs 74,700 at a straight conversion, and NDTV Profit warns that Indian prices may be somewhat higher. Even so, the gap is wide. The two entry models do not match on storage, but the Xiaomi still lands at about half the iPhone's price. NDTV Profit's view is that, setting brand loyalty aside, the Xiaomi offers a lot of power for less money, and the rear display may help it stand out.
The headline promises a look at cameras, battery, and specs, yet the article covers only screens and prices. The next thing to watch is official Indian pricing, which will show how much of the yuan-based advantage survives.
Turn the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max over and the first thing you notice is how familiar it looks. The camera plateau stretches across the full width of the back, the same design choice Apple made on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which launched only recently. Xiaomi has now put its newest flagship out into the market, and the comparison with Apple's phone is hard to avoid.
The two phones start from similar ground on the front. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max also has a 6.9-inch screen, with 2K resolution. The source gives no further display figures for the Xiaomi, so brightness and refresh rate cannot be compared directly.
Where Xiaomi departs from Apple is the back. The phone carries a secondary display called the M10, marketed as the Magic Back Screen. It lets users take selfies with the main rear camera, play games and media, set alarms, and do more besides. Apple's phone has no equivalent feature in this comparison.
Price is the other dividing line. In India, the iPhone 17 Pro Max costs Rs 149,900 for 256GB, Rs 169,900 for 512GB, Rs 189,900 for 1TB, and Rs 229,900 for 2TB.
Xiaomi's pricing is quoted in Chinese yuan. The 12GB + 512GB model is CNY 5,999, roughly Rs 74,700. The 16GB + 512GB version is CNY 6,299, about Rs 78,500, and the 16GB + 1TB version is CNY 6,999, around Rs 87,200. These are straight currency conversions, and NDTV Profit notes that the actual Indian prices may be slightly higher.
Even so, the gap is large. The Xiaomi's base price converts to about half the iPhone's entry price in India, though the two base models are not matched on storage, since the iPhone starts at 256GB and the Xiaomi at 512GB. NDTV Profit's assessment is that, brand loyalty to Apple aside, the Xiaomi is a powerful device at a lower price, and that the rear display should help it compete.
The article's headline promises a comparison of camera, battery, and specs, but the text gives details only on screens and prices. What to watch next is official pricing for India, which will show how much of the yuan-based gap survives.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Brand loyalty aside, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is a powerful device at a lower price than the iPhone 17 Pro Max (paraphrased).— NDTV Profit
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