Xiaomi will invest $5.7 billion in R&D in 2026

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Dec 18, 2025

Xiaomi has announced a major increase in research and development spending as it pushes toward becoming a global leader in hardcore technologies. At the 2025 Human Car Home Ecosystem Partner Conference on December 17, Xiaomi Group President Lu Weibing confirmed that the company will invest 200 billion yuan (approximately $28.4 billion) in R&D over the next five years.

For the current year, Xiaomi expects its R&D spending to reach between 32 and 33 billion yuan (about $4.5-4.7 billion). That figure is projected to rise to around 40 billion yuan (roughly $5.7 billion) in 2026. This represents a sharp increase compared to the 105 billion yuan (around $14.9 billion) Xiaomi invested between 2021 and 2025. The company’s R&D spending is set to double over the next five years.

The increased investment is already translating into new products and technological advancements. Xiaomi has unveiled its MiMo foundation model, a self-developed AI model designed for efficient inference across smartphones, smart home devices, and cars. Despite having a smaller parameter size compared to industry giants, MiMo is positioned as a high-performance solution for real-world applications.

Xiaomi is also expanding its efforts in chip development. The company has invested over 13.5 billion yuan (approximately $1.9 billion) in its Xring chip project. The R&D team now includes more than 2,500 engineers. Xiaomi is preparing to accelerate mass production of the next-generation Xring O2 chip. Due to U.S. technology restrictions, the chip will remain on the 3nm process node rather than advancing to 2nm.

According to Xiaomi’s third-quarter financial report, the company’s R&D team has grown to 24,871 people, marking a new record. The company believes its growing investment in research is critical to maintaining competitiveness in areas such as imaging, fast charging, AI, and its integrated Human Car Home ecosystem.

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(Via)

Xiaomi 17 Ultra Global Launch Nears as FCC Listing Confirms Key Details

By

Sudhanshu

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Dec 18, 2025

Xiaomi is set to expand its flagship lineup with the launch of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, a new top-end model positioned above the existing range. The Xiaomi 17 series debuted in China in September 2025 with three variants: Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. The upcoming 17 Ultra is expected to become the most premium offering in the lineup.

Earlier today, Xiaomi confirmed that the Xiaomi 17 Ultra will launch in China next week. New developments now suggest that a global release may follow shortly after.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has now appeared in multiple regulatory listings, pointing to an upcoming launch. The latest sighting comes from the US Federal Communications Commission. The FCC certification confirms that the phone will run HyperOS 3 out of the box. It also lists key connectivity features, including 5G support, Wi-Fi 7 based on the 802.11be standard, and Bluetooth Low Energy.

This FCC filing follows earlier certifications. The Chinese version of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, with the model number 2512BPNDAC, was previously approved by China’s 3C authority. The global variant, carrying the model number 2512BPNDAG, has also been spotted in the IMEI database.

Xiaomi has not shared an official launch date yet. However, we pretty much know that the launch will take place sometime next week in China. The global release is expected to follow in January 2026.

Specifications have not been confirmed by Xiaomi, but several details have surfaced through leaks. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is rumored to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. Battery capacity is expected to be close to 7,000mAh, which would make it one of the largest batteries in a flagship smartphone.

The main focus of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is expected to be its camera system. The device is confirmed to feature a Leica-branded camera system and is tipped to use OmniVision’s new 1-inch 50-megapixel OV50X sensor as its main camera, offering large pixel sizes and improved HDR processing. Alongside it, the phone is likely to include a 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera with macro capabilities and a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera that could deliver up to 5x optical zoom.

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(via: Notebookcheck)

OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 17: Which Phone Should You Buy?

By

Joane

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Dec 18, 2025

On paper, the OnePlus 15R and the iPhone 17 sit in the same premium bracket, but in reality, they represent two completely different ideas of what a modern smartphone should be. One chases speed, spectacle, and value; the other bets on restraint, refinement, and long-term trust. Buyers looking at these two aren’t choosing a phone so much as choosing a philosophy, which is why this comparison matters.

Major Features:

Feature	OnePlus 15R	iPhone 17	Winner
Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Gen 5	Apple A19	iPhone 17
Display	AMOLED, 165Hz	LTPO OLED, 120Hz	OnePlus 15R
Battery	7400 mAh, 80W wired	3692 mAh, wired + MagSafe	OnePlus 15R
Main Cameras	50 MP wide + 8 MP ultrawide	48 MP wide + 48 MP ultrawide	iPhone 17
Front Camera	32 MP	18 MP + SL 3D	iPhone 17
Price (Approx)	$700	$800	OnePlus 15R

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1. Design and Display

Build and Feel

The OnePlus 15R leans into a bold, performance-centric identity, with a design that feels engineered for intensity rather than minimalism. Its ceramic-like coating and industrial finish give it a rugged, modern personality that appeals to users who like their phones to feel purposeful and tech-forward. The iPhone 17, in contrast, continues Apple’s clean, restrained aesthetic. The smooth glass and refined frame deliver a polished, premium feel that blends effortlessly into everyday use. OnePlus feels more expressive and aggressive, while the iPhone feels calmer and more universally refined.

Display Quality

OnePlus prioritizes visual impact with a fluid, ultra-smooth AMOLED panel that makes scrolling, gaming, and animations feel effortlessly fast. It feels tuned for users who notice responsiveness immediately. Apple’s OLED panel focuses on color accuracy, consistency, and cinematic HDR, creating a display that feels natural and balanced rather than flashy. While OnePlus impresses instantly, the iPhone’s display tends to feel more comfortable during long viewing sessions.

Verdict

OnePlus 15R feels more exciting and bold, while iPhone 17 feels more polished and timeless.

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2. Specifications

Performance

The OnePlus 15R is built for raw speed, delivering a performance profile that feels aggressive and future-proof, especially for gaming and heavy multitasking. Apps open instantly, sustained workloads remain smooth, and the overall experience feels tuned for power users. The iPhone 17 counters with Apple’s signature efficiency-focused performance. Everything feels tightly optimized, fluid, and predictable, with fewer background slowdowns over time. While OnePlus feels faster on the surface, Apple’s performance feels more controlled and consistently reliable across years of use.

Battery and Charging

OnePlus clearly prioritizes endurance and convenience, offering long usage confidence and fast top-ups that reduce downtime anxiety. It suits users who value charging speed and flexibility. Apple focuses on efficiency rather than raw capacity, pairing dependable daily battery life with ecosystem-friendly charging options. It feels designed around steady routines rather than power bursts.

Verdict

OnePlus 15R favors power and speed, while iPhone 17 prioritizes long-term efficiency and stability.

3. Camera

Main and Secondary Lenses

The OnePlus 15R camera system focuses on versatility and high-frame-rate video flexibility, appealing to users who enjoy experimenting with motion, lighting, and dynamic scenes. Results are vibrant and social-media ready, often favoring contrast and punch. The iPhone 17 emphasizes consistency and realism, delivering dependable colors, excellent dynamic range, and industry-leading video reliability. Apple’s footage feels more cinematic and predictable, especially in mixed lighting, making it a safer choice for content creators who want minimal post-processing.

Selfie Camera

OnePlus delivers sharp, detailed selfies with a focus on clarity and smooth video stabilization. Apple’s front camera goes further with depth sensing and advanced HDR, producing more natural skin tones and stronger video presence for calls and vlogs. The difference becomes noticeable during video, where Apple feels more refined.

Verdict

OnePlus offers creative flexibility, but iPhone 17 delivers more consistent, professional-grade results.

4. Pricing

The OnePlus 15R positions itself as a high-performance flagship killer, offering cutting-edge hardware, aggressive features, and a premium design at a comparatively lower entry price. It clearly targets buyers who want maximum specifications per dollar and are comfortable choosing performance over ecosystem depth. The value proposition feels strong, especially for users upgrading frequently or prioritizing hardware-first experiences.

The iPhone 17 sits at a higher price point, but that premium extends beyond raw specifications. Buyers are paying for long-term software support, deep ecosystem integration, resale value, and a refined user experience that ages gracefully. While it costs more upfront, the overall ownership experience often feels more predictable and stable over time.

Buy Oneplus 15R

Buy iPhone 17

Verdict

OnePlus 15R delivers stronger hardware value, while iPhone 17 justifies its price through longevity, ecosystem benefits, and consistency.

5. Conclusion

OnePlus 15R stands out with its fast-paced personality, prioritizing display fluidity, charging speed, and performance intensity. It feels designed for users who enjoy tweaking, gaming, and pushing hardware to its limits. The experience feels energetic and forward-looking. The iPhone 17’s strengths lie in polish, reliability, and ecosystem intelligence. Features like satellite connectivity, deep hardware-software integration, and long-term updates make it feel less experimental but more dependable.

Verdict

OnePlus 15R is the better choice for users who want excitement, speed, and maximum value from cutting-edge hardware. It feels ideal for enthusiasts who upgrade often and prioritize performance-first experiences. The iPhone 17 makes more sense for users who value stability, camera consistency, and seamless integration across devices. It may feel less dramatic, but it delivers a refined experience that remains satisfying long after the initial excitement fades.

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Should you wait for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra?

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 18, 2025

Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 15 Ultra in February this year, and it has already confirmed that the 17 Ultra is debuting next week in China. This indicates that the new flagship is launching much earlier than previously anticipated, shifting the typical release cycle significantly. With the first official teasers appearing online, the question arises whether consumers should hold off on their current purchases to wait for this premium device. Here’s a look at what to expect from the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra triple camera sensors confirmed — Xiaomi 17 Ultra design emerge in mock render, reveals triple camera sensors confirmed

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4. Price hike looks inevitable this time

While the upgrades sound promising, pricing may be the biggest concern. Tipster Digital Chat Station recently claimed that rising memory prices mean upcoming phones will either increase prices or cut specifications. Xiaomi’s strong push into the premium segment further supports this view.

According to the tipster, Xiaomi has found success in the high-end space this year, and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, positioned as the ultimate flagship, is unlikely to compromise on hardware to maintain pricing. Consequently, a price hike appears inevitable, especially if the base variant starts with 512GB of storage. Likely, it may arrive with a starting price of 6,999 Yuan (~$999).

For those wondering about the 17 Ultra’s global launch, it is expected to debut with the Xiaomi 17 in March next year.

So, should you wait? If camera improvements, stronger performance, and a refined flagship experience matter more than price, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra already looks worth holding out for.

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Gemini 3 Flash is now Google’s default AI, and it’s all about speed

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 18, 2025

The Gemini 3 Flash has been officially introduced by Google as the latest addition to its AI model lineup. Designed to improve speed and efficiency, the new model signals a shift in how Google wants everyday users and developers to interact with Gemini. Here’s a look at what the latest model offers.

Gemini 3 Flash focuses on speed without losing intelligence

Google positions Gemini 3 Flash as a faster alternative that still retains the advanced reasoning, multimodal understanding, and tool-handling capabilities seen in Gemini 3 Pro. According to the company, the new model surpasses Gemini 2.5 Flash across benchmarks and outperforms Gemini 2.5 Pro in several areas, while remaining significantly quicker and more cost-efficient. In some evaluations, Gemini 3 Flash performs on par with Gemini 3 Pro and even exceeds it in tasks involving multimodal reasoning, workflow execution, and long-horizon tool use.

For developers, this means stronger support for demanding use cases such as video analysis, data extraction, visual question answering, and agent-driven software tasks. Google also highlights that Gemini 3 Flash delivers these gains while being lighter on computing resources, making it a practical option for large-scale deployment and real-time applications.

Gemini 3 Flash is now rolling out as the default model in the Gemini app, replacing Gemini 2.5 Flash. Users can access it through two modes, one optimised for quick responses and another designed for more complex problem-solving. Gemini 3 Pro remains available as a separate option for advanced mathematics and coding tasks.

The model is also becoming the default engine for AI Mode in Google Search globally, enabling more nuanced queries and context-aware responses. In the US, users can additionally access Gemini 3 Pro and advanced image-generation tools through AI Mode. For developers, Gemini 3 Flash is available in preview via Google AI Studio, Gemini CLI, Android Studio, and other platforms, marking one of Google’s fastest AI rollouts to date.

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Upcoming iQOO Z-series mid-tier phone with 200MP Samsung HP5 in works

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 18, 2025

iQOO is reportedly working on a couple of new Z-series phones for the Chinese market. A recent Weibo post by reliable tipster Digital Chat Station revealed that it may include a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5-powered model, which may eventually end up as the iQOO Z11 Turbo Pro. In a newer Weibo post, the tipster has mentioned a Z-series mid-range phone. Considering that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is not a mid-range chip, it appears that the tipster could be talking about another Z-series model and not the Z10 Turbo Pro.

iQOO Z-series phone with 200MP camera

As can be seen above, DCS’s Weibo post suggests that iQOO could be evaluating a Z-series mid-range phone with ultrasonic fingerprint authentication, a metal frame, and a 200-megapixel large-sensor main camera. The tipster notes that this is an early-stage discussion and that the details are not final.

In the comments section, DCS revealed that this device may feature the Samsung HP5 200-megapixel camera sensor. He also mentioned that competing models in the same price range have a plastic frame or an optical in-screen fingerprint sensor.

While some have speculated that it could be the iQOO Z11 Pro, there is no concrete evidence to back this claim. As far as the alleged iQOO Z11 Turbo Pro is concerned, it is expected to feature a 6.59-inch OLED panel that offers a 1.5K resolution and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset. The other details of the device are under wraps.

As far as other iQOO phones are concerned, a recent report revealed that the rumoured iQOO 15 Ultra flagship phone has been delayed, whereas the iQOO 15 Mini has been cancelled.

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OnePlus 15R vs Galaxy S24: Is The New OnePlus Better Than Samsung’s Old Classic

By

Joane

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Dec 18, 2025

Choosing between the OnePlus 15R and the Samsung Galaxy S24 isn’t just about brand preference; it’s about timing, priorities, and how long a phone is expected to stay relevant. Buyers comparing these two are typically torn between a newer, future-focused release and a proven flagship from an earlier cycle. With both sitting in a similar price bracket, this comparison matters because it highlights how launch year, long-term value, and evolving user expectations can change what “best choice” really means.

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