Xiaomi has reportedly pulled the plug on the Xiaomi 18 Ultra, and you might see the word Ultra disappear from a lot more Chinese flagships next year.
Words for this come from tipster Kartikey Singh on X, who claims that Xiaomi has decided to scrap the Ultra model for its next flagship smartphone series.
As a result, instead of the usual four-way lineup with a camera-focused Ultra at the top, we’ll only get the Xiaomi 18, the Xiaomi 18 Pro, and the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max.
Previous reports point to soaring memory chip prices as the main reason. DRAM and NAND costs have climbed sharply in 2026 on the back of AI demand, and squeezing in Ultra-tier hardware like a 200MP quad-camera system would have pushed the price well past what most buyers would pay. The good news, if you can call it that, is that the Ultra isn’t gone forever.
Xiaomi is expected to bring it back with the Xiaomi 19 Ultra sometime in late 2027 or early 2028, once component costs settle down. Until then, the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max is tipped to be the top-of-the-line model from the brand.
On the other hand, Oppo Find X10 Ultra and Vivo X300 will remain exclusive to China
Xiaomi isn’t alone here. Rising memory costs have reportedly made Oppo and Vivo rethink their own next-generation Ultra phones as well. Their current Ultra models, the Oppo Find X9 Ultra and the Vivo X300 Ultra, made it to global markets this year. But according to Singh, their successors, the Oppo Find X10 Ultra and the Vivo X500 Ultra, might stay limited to China when they launch in the first half of 2027.
Neither company has confirmed that yet, so treat it as an early claim.
If that does happen, Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Ultra would be left as the only true Ultra-branded flagship you can actually buy outside China. Everyone else will compete with their Pro Max model in the flagship segment.
For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.
Stay ahead in tech! Join our Telegram community and sign up for our daily newsletter of top stories!
Comments