Xiaomi Pocket Guitar Turns Your Phone’s Back Screen Into a Guitar

Xiaomi’s newest phone accessory is a guitar that straps to the back of your handset. Not a joke.

It’s called the Xiaomi Pocket Guitar, made specifically for the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max and their rear display. Xiaomi has already been using that second screen for AI-generated widgets and mini apps — now it doubles as a guitar neck.

It comes in black or red, clips on with a magnet, and lies flat over the rear screen when folded shut. Open it up and it splits into two halves around a hinge: chord buttons on one side, a textured ridged strip on the other that you strum like strings. Flip it the other way and it props your phone up like a stand.

Xiaomi Pocket Guitar Connects to Changba

The whole thing runs through Changba, a Chinese karaoke app, over Bluetooth. In the app’s performance mode there are two ways to play. Chord mode has your left hand pressing numbered buttons — I through VII — while your right hand strums the ridges. Rhythm mode is the lazy version: skip the chords, just keep time strumming, and the app handles the rest.

The rear screen earns its keep here. The strumming panel sits below it, so your hand doesn’t block the display while you play — you can actually see the controls instead of guessing.

One catch: the full experience is exclusive to the 18 Pro series. Hook the Pocket Guitar up to any other Xiaomi phone, or an iPhone running iOS 14 or later, and Changba still connects, but you lose the rear-screen performance and recording features. Playing, browsing, and tuning all move to the front screen.

Xiaomi Pocket Guitar Battery is a 630mAh cell, and Xiaomi says it’s good for 30 days between charges over USB-C. Price is 599 yuan, roughly $90, and right now it’s only sold in China through JD.com.