📌 Updated 28 September 2026 — The Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max have been official since 23 September, without the standard Xiaomi 18: Xiaomi president Lu Weibing confirmed that it would launch separately, later in the year. It has just been certified in China, and a new leak fills in its spec sheet: a 6.4-inch flat 1.5K display, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, a 7,200 mAh battery with 100 W wired and wireless charging, and three cameras — a 200 MP main camera, a 50 MP ultra-wide and a 200 MP 3x telephoto. Its launch is expected in December.
While the trend pushes towards ever larger phones to fit bigger batteries, Xiaomi keeps refining its compact model. The latest information on the Xiaomi 18 points to a very polished device: a 6.4-inch display, a 7,200 mAh battery — more than the 18 Pro — and camera hardware inherited directly from the Pro versions.
Release date: the Xiaomi 18 expected in December
For the first time, Xiaomi has split the release of its models. The Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max were unveiled in China on 23 September, right after Qualcomm made the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 official. The standard Xiaomi 18 was not part of the event: Lu Weibing, the group’s president, had confirmed before the launch that it would come separately, later in the year.
The signs point to December 2026. At the end of September, a Xiaomi device with model number M261DB, attributed to the Xiaomi 18, passed radio certification with China’s Ministry of Industry (MIIT): the final stretch before a launch. The timing mirrors the previous generation, whose Xiaomi 17 Ultra was unveiled in China in December 2025.
For buyers in Europe and import fans, this means roughly three more months of waiting than for the 18 Pro models, which will launch internationally by the end of the year. Xiaomi has not yet announced anything about a global version of the standard model.
A certification that actually belonged to the 18 Pro Max
On 9 September, a Xiaomi device with model number 2611FPNFAG went through the NCC, Taiwan’s telecoms regulator, and we initially linked it to the Xiaomi 18. HyperOS system code has since settled the matter: 2611FPNFAG is the global version of the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, not the standard model. The details of that certificate — 256 or 512 GB of storage, IP68, a 100 W charger — therefore do not apply to the Xiaomi 18.
The certification that really concerns it is China’s MIIT filing, under model number M261DB. It does not detail the spec sheet yet: for now, that still relies on leaks.
A price increase, and the brand’s explanation
Pricing is expected to change noticeably. In China, the Xiaomi 18 would start above 5,499 yuan, against 4,499 yuan for the Xiaomi 17 at launch. The increase is already visible across the range: the Xiaomi 18 Pro officially starts at 5,999 yuan (around €780).
Lu Weibing, president of the Xiaomi group, explained the reasons: soaring supply costs for memory components (RAM and flash storage). He expects these pressures to keep prices high until at least the end of 2027, possibly 2028. It is a structural trend that will affect the whole smartphone market.
A Chinese price does not translate directly into euros: taxes, shipping and import margins are added to the final price in Europe.
5 colours and a familiar design
Visually, the Xiaomi 18 would keep the brand’s design language: a square camera module in the top-left corner, in line with the Xiaomi 17. The silhouette stays familiar and accessories remain consistent. It would come in 5 colours:
- Black (matte finish)
- White
- Pink
- Blue
- Red
On the front, the Xiaomi 18 would keep a 6.4-inch flat display, now at 1.5K resolution, on the same M11 panel as the Pro models. Its thin, even bezels would rely on LIPO packaging, which folds the panel’s connections under the screen instead of along its sides: for the same diagonal, the phone gains display area without getting bigger. On the 18 Pro, this panel reaches 4,000 nits and includes a hardware privacy filter.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6: the 18 Pro’s chip
The Xiaomi 18 would use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, the standard version of Qualcomm’s new chip built on TSMC’s 2 nm process, paired with LPDDR5X memory. It is the same chip as in the Xiaomi 18 Pro, where it runs at up to 5 GHz; the 18 Pro Max gets the Extreme version.
Combined with 7,200 mAh — 200 mAh more than the 18 Pro and the Xiaomi 17 —, this more efficient chip should make two days of standard use a realistic target.
Leica cameras: three sensors according to the latest leak
The camera section is the one that has changed most across leaks. The first ones described a pair of 200 MP cameras — a main camera and a periscope telephoto —, without an ultra-wide. The latest one describes three cameras:
- 200 MP main camera: a large 1/1.28-inch sensor, the same format as on the 18 Pro.
- 50 MP ultra-wide.
- 200 MP telephoto: 3x optical zoom.
If confirmed, the Xiaomi 18 would come close to the 18 Pro’s formula, which pairs a 1/1.28-inch 200 MP main camera, a 200 MP periscope at 3.2x and a 50 MP ultra-wide, all branded Leica. A 200 MP telephoto on the standard model would leave plenty of room to crop an image after taking it.
Hardware and design trade-offs
To fit 7,200 mAh into a 6.4-inch body, Xiaomi would skip the rear screen of the Pro models: the space saved would go to the battery.
- Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor: fast unlocking, even with wet fingers.
- Fast charging: 100 W wired, plus wireless charging.
- Software: HyperOS 4, based on Android 17, like the 18 Pro models.
- Water resistance: not yet known for this model; the 18 Pro models are IP68 certified.
Xiaomi 18 spec sheet (based on leaks)
| Display | Flat, 6.4 inches, 1.5K, M11 panel, LIPO bezels |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 (TSMC 2 nm), up to 5 GHz on the 18 Pro |
| Memory | LPDDR5X |
| Cameras | 200 MP main (1/1.28″) + 50 MP ultra-wide + 200 MP 3x telephoto, Leica optics (latest leak) |
| Battery | 7,200 mAh (vs 7,000 mAh on the 18 Pro) |
| Charging | 100 W wired + wireless charging |
| Software | HyperOS 4 (Android 17) |
| Biometrics | Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor |
| Rear screen | No (reserved for the 18 Pro models) |
| Certification | China (MIIT), model number M261DB |
| Colours | Black, white, pink, blue, red |
| Estimated price (China) | Above 5,499 yuan (18 Pro: 5,999 yuan) |
| Launch | December 2026 in China, separate launch confirmed by Xiaomi |
Xiaomi 18 or Xiaomi 18 Pro: which one to choose?
- Battery: the Xiaomi 18 has the edge, with 7,200 mAh expected against the 18 Pro’s official 7,000 mAh, thanks to the space freed up by the absence of a rear screen.
- Rear screen: reserved for the 18 Pro, with a 2.7-inch panel for framing selfies with the main camera or checking notifications.
- Cameras: if the latest leak is confirmed, the Xiaomi 18 would take over the Pro’s three-camera formula, including two 200 MP sensors.
- Timing: the 18 Pro has been on sale in China since 23 September and will launch internationally by the end of the year; the 18 is expected in China in December.
Full details of the Pro version are in our official Xiaomi 18 Pro article, and we pit it against the Find X10 and the Vivo X500 Pro in our clash of the compacts.
In summary
Expected in December 2026, the Xiaomi 18 is shaping up as a key model for anyone looking for a compact phone with no compromise on battery life or cameras: 7,200 mAh, the 18 Pro’s chip and, perhaps, three Leica cameras.
We will follow the announcement of its global version. In the meantime, browse all our Xiaomi smartphones, along with our Xiaomi cases and official Xiaomi chargers. You can also find the whole Xiaomi range in our store.
