Xiaomi 18 Pro rear display supports Google Maps, Spotify and GenAI apps

What the rear display can do

Xiaomi says the rear displays on the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max will support Google Maps, YouTube Music, Spotify and other apps. According to 9to5Google, the details come from GSMArena and build on videos posted on X by Xu Fei, vice president and chief marketing officer of the Xiaomi Group.

For music, the rear screen shows the artwork and name of the current song, along with large play, pause and skip buttons. For navigation, Google Maps displays a progress indicator and the next upcoming direction, so drivers or walkers can glance at the back of the phone.

A screen like a flip phone cover display

9to5Google notes it looks similar to the cover screen on a flip-style foldable such as the Galaxy Z Flip 8 or the Motorola Razr series, and says it has an impressively high resolution.

Rear displays on phones are rare, and past attempts have often been criticised as gimmicks with little practical use. Xiaomi appears to be trying to change that by giving the screen real, everyday functions.

Build your own apps with AI

A built-in GenAI tool, a feature that uses artificial intelligence to generate software, builds an app from a simple text description of what the user wants.

According to 9to5Google, this approach could help solve the problem that has made earlier rear displays feel pointless, since owners can shape the screen around their own needs rather than relying only on what the manufacturer preloads.

Launch and what to expect

9to5Google reports that the Xiaomi 18 Pro series will debut globally. The publication has also covered earlier reports about the phones, including leaks on battery and pricing, a confirmed rollout schedule for Android 17 with HyperOS 4, and the official unveiling of the series with a privacy screen, an 8,500 mAh battery and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip.

Exact pricing and availability dates for individual markets have not been confirmed in the material available, so readers should treat those earlier figures as unconfirmed until Xiaomi announces them.