News in Short

• Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max have launched in China.
• The Xiaomi 18 Pro uses Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, while the Pro Max gets Extreme Gen 6.
• Both chipsets are built on a 2nm process and clock up to 5GHz.
• The phones feature 200MP main and periscope telephoto cameras.
• Xiaomi has added a Privacy Display to reduce viewing angles and shoulder surfing.

Xiaomi has launched its latest flagship smartphones in China. The new Xiaomi 18 Pro series includes the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max.

The company has retained the overall design approach of the previous generation. Both smartphones also feature a secondary display on the rear, giving the lineup a distinctive feature for selfies and other quick interactions.

The new phones also bring Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series. The Xiaomi 18 Pro gets the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, while the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max uses the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6.

Xiaomi 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max price in China

The Xiaomi 18 Pro starts at CNY 5,999, which is roughly Rs 86,000. This price applies to the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant.

The 12GB+512GB model costs CNY 6,999, while the 16GB+512GB version costs CNY 7,999. The 16GB+1TB variant is priced at CNY 8,999. Xiaomi is also offering a transparent 16GB+1TB version for CNY 9,999.

Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max starts at CNY 6,999, or roughly Rs 1 lakh. The top 16GB+1TB model costs CNY 9,999, while the transparent version reaches CNY 10,999.

Both smartphones are listed for sale in China through Xiaomi’s online store. They are offered in Black, Ice Peach Pink, Starry Blue and White.

The source does not provide an India launch date or India pricing.

2nm Snapdragon chips power the new flagships

The Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max use the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 family. The Xiaomi 18 Pro gets the standard Gen 6 chip, while the Pro Max gets the Extreme Gen 6 version.

Both processors use a 2nm manufacturing process and can reach clock speeds of up to 5GHz. The phones also feature a new Adreno GPU, up to 16GB LPDDR5x RAM and up to 1TB UFS 4.1 storage.

This gives Xiaomi’s latest flagships a strong hardware focus. The new chips also arrive as manufacturers increasingly move flagship smartphones towards smaller process nodes and more on-device processing.

Xiaomi adds Privacy Display technology

The Xiaomi 18 Pro features a 6.4-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED display. The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max gets a larger 6.9-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED panel.

Both displays support up to a 120Hz refresh rate and 300Hz touch sampling. Xiaomi also claims peak brightness of up to 4,000 nits, while DCI-P3 support targets a wider colour range.

One of the notable additions is Privacy Display. The feature reduces the viewing angle of the screen to make it harder for people nearby to see the display. This could be useful for users who frequently check private information in public places.

The rear screens are also AMOLED panels. The Xiaomi 18 Pro has a 2.7-inch display, while the Pro Max gets a 2.9-inch screen. Both offer the same refresh rate and peak brightness as the main display.

200MP cameras lead the photography setup

Xiaomi has equipped both phones with a triple rear camera system. The setup includes a 200MP primary camera with OIS, a 200MP periscope telephoto camera with OIS and a 50MP ultrawide camera.

The ultrawide camera offers a 102-degree field of view. Both phones can also record video at up to 8K resolution at 30fps. A 50MP front camera handles selfies and video calls.

The identical headline camera setup across the two models puts a strong emphasis on high-resolution photography. The dedicated periscope camera should also give users more flexibility when shooting distant subjects.

8,500mAh battery powers the Pro Max

The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max packs an 8,500mAh battery, while the Xiaomi 18 Pro gets a 7,000mAh cell. Both smartphones support 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.

They also support 27W wired reverse charging. Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 and USB Type-C. The phones also support GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, NavIC and Galileo.

Both models run Android 17-based HyperOS 4. They also feature in-display fingerprint sensors and face unlock.

The Xiaomi 18 Pro measures 151.8 x 72 x 8.46mm and weighs around 203g. The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max measures 163.39 x 77.6 x 8.39mm and weighs around 235g.

With the Xiaomi 18 Pro series, the company is combining new 2nm Snapdragon hardware with large displays, high-resolution cameras and sizeable batteries. The Privacy Display and rear screen add further differentiation, although India availability remains unconfirmed in the supplied information.