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A new leak from tipster Smart Pikachu on Weibo details the standard Xiaomi 18, which is expected to launch after the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max. The compact flagship is said to feature a large camera island, two-tone metal rear finish, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chipset, a roughly 7,000mAh battery, and dual 200MP cameras, but without the Pro model's Smart Privacy Display.
Korean outlet Chosun Biz says Samsung's internal testing shows the unreleased Exynos 2700 chip beating Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max devices (running Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Extreme Gen 6) in Geekbench 6.5 and 7.0 multi-core scores, by margins ranging from 15% to 44%. The report also claims the Exynos chip led in two unnamed GPU tests, though specific figures weren't disclosed.
CNET's review of Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, highlights its 5.4-inch cover screen and 7.6-inch inner display, along with a matte inner panel designed to reduce glare and crease visibility. The device includes camera features like Duo Preview and Smart Take, which let users preview shots on the cover screen while using the higher-resolution 48-megapixel rear cameras instead of the 12-megapixel selfie camera.
Comparison of Apple's iPhone Duo and Xiaomi's 18 Fold shows both have 7.6-inch inner and 5.4-inch outer screens at 120Hz, but Xiaomi claims 4,000-nit peak brightness versus Apple's 3,000 nits. Apple uses a titanium frame, Ceramic Shield glass and IP68 rating with a 2nm A20 Pro chip and 12GB RAM, while Xiaomi's aluminum-framed phone weighs less at 219g, lacks a listed IP rating, and runs a 3nm XRING O3 chip with 16GB RAM.
Leaker Digital Chat Station says Xiaomi had designed a Xiaomi 18 Ultra with a top-tier chipset, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, and a triple 200MP camera array including main, ultrawide and periscope telephoto lenses plus a magnetic external lens. The post claims Xiaomi planned to price the device at roughly CNY 9,999 (about $1,490) but scrapped the launch, concluding the cost was unsustainable for sales.
Xiaomi unveiled its 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max phones in China, among the first devices to run Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chipset, with the Pro Max using the higher-end variant. Both phones feature privacy screens that limit off-angle viewing, LTPO AMOLED displays up to 6.9 inches with 4,000 nits peak brightness, the same triple rear camera setup as before, and larger batteries of 7,000mAh and 8,500mAh respectively.
Leaker Ice Universe claims Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra will adopt a split-screen privacy feature already found on Xiaomi's newly announced 18 Pro series. The feature would dim only one app window in split-screen mode while keeping the other visible, adjusting dynamically as windows are resized.
Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in Beijing, making it the first manufacturer to ship phones with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chips. Both models retain a secondary rear OLED display next to the camera module, which shows notifications and widgets and lets users take selfies with the higher-quality rear cameras. The phones launch first in China, with a global rollout planned before the end of 2026, though Xiaomi devices continue to bypass the US market.
Xiaomi has launched the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, both featuring two 200MP Leica sensors alongside a 50MP ultrawide camera. The Pro Max runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 with an 8,500mAh battery, while the Pro uses the standard 8 Elite Gen 6 chip with a 7,000mAh battery. Both models add a hardware privacy screen, a functional rear display, UWB support, IP69 water resistance, and a customizable AI button.
Xiaomi launched the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in China, adding a hardware-based privacy display that can be set to trigger by app, location or via selfie-camera detection of onlookers. Both phones keep the rear secondary screen from last year's models, pack two 200-megapixel cameras, and use Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips, with the Pro Max getting the higher-end Extreme variant and a larger 8,500mAh battery. Xiaomi says a global release will follow later this year.
Leaker Ice Universe reports that Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra uses four-way baffles to block screen visibility from top, bottom and both sides, while Huawei's Mate XT 2 and Xiaomi's 18 Pro series only block side views. This makes Samsung's privacy screen more thorough, but the tighter light control brings side effects like dimmer off-axis brightness, blurrier images, and reported eye strain or nausea for some users.
Ahead of its launch, Xiaomi detailed the dual 200MP camera system on its upcoming Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max, revealing that the primary sensor measures 1/1.28-inch, slightly larger than the ISOCELL HP2 used in Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra. The phones also feature a Leica-backed camera setup wrapped around a secondary rear display, in a design reminiscent of the iPhone 17 Pro's camera island but repurposed for screen functionality.