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Xiaomi kicked off its fall flagship season on September 7 with the Xiaomi 18 Fold. The mid-fold phone uses Xiaomi’s own Xring O3 chip, a 3nm processor paired with LPDDR6 memory. That made it the first phone to ship with the newer memory standard.
The Fold also comes with a 200MP Leica main camera, a 50MP periscope telephoto camera, and a 6,000mAh battery. Despite the large battery, the phone is only 10.68mm thick when folded.
The launch marked the start of the Xiaomi 18 series, but the rest of the lineup will not feature the in-house chip. The Xiaomi 18 Pro, Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, and standard Xiaomi 18 are expected to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 platform instead. The new phones will be introduced around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit, which runs from September 22 to 24.
Here’s everything we know so far about the Xiaomi 18 series.
1. Xiaomi 18 Pro
Xiaomi has confirmed the Xiaomi 18 Pro series launch for later this month, and one of the biggest changes this year is the rear display.
In its teaser, Xiaomi has now confirmed the rear screen will be able to generate its own apps with the help of AI. These aren’t full-fledged apps; rather that are useful for day-to-day activities like an egg-cooking timer, a water-drinking reminder, and a Pomodoro timer.
According to previous leaks, this rear screen could measure around 4 inches. Big upgrade from the 2.7-inch screen on the Xiaomi 17 Pro, if true. The company is also expected to bring a privacy mode, similar to the feature Samsung introduced with the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The main display is expected to remain relatively compact and flat, with a resolution around 1.5K. The phone could also get a physical AI button on the frame for quick access to AI features and could be customized to work with Xiaomi’s smart home and EV ecosystem.
The camera setup could also see a major upgrade. The Xiaomi 18 Pro is expected to use two 200MP sensors for the main and telephoto cameras. Last year’s model has a single 200MP lens in comparison. It will still have a triple-camera setup with Leica tuning.
2. Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max is expected to be the biggest phone in the lineup and could also bring the most advanced camera setup. Like the Pro model, it has a rear display with the same set of features.
The front screen could be 6.9 inches and use a flat panel. The camera system is also expected to get a major upgrade. According to a recent leak, the phone could use a 200MP SmartSens main camera alongside a 200MP telephoto camera with LOFIC support for improved dynamic range. A 50MP ultra-wide camera is also in the cards. If the leak is true, this would be the first time SmartSens provides a 200MP sensor for a Xiaomi flagship.
Moreover, the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max is tipped to have an 8,500mAh battery, up from the 7,500mAh battery used by last year’s Pro Max. It is also expected to support 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.
The phone should use a Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip, and a Geekbench listing for the M1544F reportedly showed the chip running at up to 5.11GHz, while an AnTuTu listing reportedly recorded around 485,000 points.
Xiaomi Group partner Lu Weibing says that this generation is the biggest upgrade in the history of the company’s flagship digital series.
3. Xiaomi 18
The standard Xiaomi 18 could arrive much later than the Pro models. Instead of launching alongside the Pro and Pro Max, the base model is expected to arrive in December 2026 or January 2027.
One of the biggest upgrades could be the camera. According to leaks, it will feature a 200MP periscope telephoto camera, which would be a first for the non-Pro model in the series. The standard Xiaomi 18 is also expected to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, although its RAM and storage options have not been revealed yet.
For the Indian market, Xiaomi is reportedly planning to launch the Pro and Pro Max models, while the standard Xiaomi 18 may not be released there.
4. What’s still unclear
Xiaomi has not revealed pricing for the Xiaomi 18 Pro or Pro Max yet, neither their has been any rumors about it. The company has also only confirmed that the phones will launch later this month.
The global launch plans are also still unclear. The Pro and Pro Max are expected to reach markets outside China, including India, while the standard Xiaomi 18 could have a more limited release when it arrives later.
On the software side, the entire lineup is expected to run HyperOS 4 based on Android 17. Xiaomi has not yet shared many details about the new software, although AI features are likely to be a major part of the experience, especially on the phones with rear displays.
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