Hot on the heels of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 and 8 Elite Gen 6 announcements, Xiaomi unveiled two flagships with the new chips. These two are already on sale in China and Xiaomi has confirmed that the Xiaomi 18 Pro series will be available worldwide.
“When?” and “How much?” are questions for another date. We wanted to get your first reaction to the new models – do you like the direction in which Xiaomi is taking its flagship series? Would you buy one and which one?
Let’s make a quick introduction – the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max is the big 6.9 “flagship. It gets the “Extreme” version of the Snapdragon. Compared to the 17 Pro Max, we notice a change in the camera section – the 50MP 1/1.28 “main sensor is replaced by a 200MP 1/1.28” sensor, while the 50MP periscope 5x / 50mm is pronounced 200MP 3.2x / 75mm module The telephoto lens is shorter, but the higher resolution allows for more in-sensor zoom, making the phone more accessible.
Xiaomi 18 Pro (left) and 18 Pro Max (right)
The new Pro Max also has a bigger battery – 8,500mAh, 1,000mAh more than its predecessor. What kind of capacity can we see in Europe? Maybe Xiaomi will take a page from Apple’s playbook and ship the big batteries. What about India? Here’s the thing – while the main post promised that the 18 Pro series will go global (explicitly mentioning “series”), Xiaomi India’s post only mentions the 18 Pro.
Those Xiaomi 18 Pro is the smaller of the pair, but it now has a 6.4″ display. The good news is that the extra 0.1″ over its predecessor came mostly from the bezels – the new Pro is only 0.7mm taller and 0.2mm wider than the old Pro. This also combines with a larger 7,000mAh battery (+700mAh).
Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max battery capacities
This one uses the regular Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chip. It has two 200MP cameras – a 1/1.28″ main and a 3.2x/75mm periscope. These replace a 50MP 1/1.28″ main and a 50MP 5x/115mm periscope, respectively. Here are the new and old models compared. Both 18 Pro models have 50MP ultra-wide and 50MP selfie cameras, by the way.
Both phones also have displays on their camera islands as well – 2.9″ for the Pro Max and 2.7″ for the Pro. These come in handy for selfies, but Xiaomi has also added new AI capabilities – the AI can create apps for you that run on those rear displays.
We only have Chinese prices to go on at the moment. The Xiaomi 18 Pro (12/256GB) starts at CNY 6,000 ($895 / £675 / €785 / ₹85,800), while the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max (12/256GB) starts at CNY 7,000 ($1,050 / €0.050 / €0.050). While the global models cost more than the straight currency conversion suggests, the question remains – how much? We’re not sure yet, but all next-gen flagships are going up in price (even mid-rangers and entry-level phones have seen price hikes).
If the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max goes global – and assuming it’s available in your region – can you buy yourself a Pro Max?
What about the smaller Xiaomi 18 Pro – do you prefer it over the larger model or not?