Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone maker, has launched its 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max phones in China with privacy displays, rear screens and two 200-megapixel cameras, according to The Verge.
An international release is planned later this year.
The privacy features are selective, applying to individual elements such as notifications and split-screen views rather than the whole display.
A privacy display limits what people can see from the side, addressing a simple problem: phones expose sensitive information to strangers the moment their owners start reading on a crowded train.
Xiaomi says its panel alternates standard and privacy pixels, dimming the image when viewed from a wide enough angle, according to Android Authority.
Those claims remain untested by independent reviewers.
Selective control is the useful advance, letting a user hide an incoming private message while keeping a map readable.
Automatic triggers could help people who forget to switch protection on, but users will need a clear signal of when it is active.
Reviewers will need to test readability, colour accuracy, brightness and battery life, in bright daylight as well as indoors.
The protection has limits: it cannot stop someone directly behind the user from seeing the screen, and it does nothing about screenshots or app security.
Still, it gives buyers a more tangible reason to upgrade than faster processors or bigger camera numbers.
Whether it becomes a real advantage will depend on independent reviews, international pricing and how smoothly the controls work in daily use.
