Xiaomi 18 Pro debuts with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6

The Xiaomi 18 Pro is the first phone to ship with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, and Xiaomi's simultaneously revealed 18 Pro Max is offered with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme variant, the company said as the new models went official in China.

Beyond the flagship silicon, Xiaomi's 18 Pro series brings larger batteries, hardware-level privacy displays, updated telephoto optics and the return of a secondary rear screen that now integrates new AI features. Xiaomi showcased the phones' rear-screen mini apps and Xiao AI integrations at the announcement.

Displays, privacy and the rear screen

Both models use LTPO AMOLED panels with 2K resolution and a variable 1 to 120 hertz refresh rate. The 18 Pro measures 6.4 inches and the 18 Pro Max 6.9 inches; Xiaomi rates both panels for 4,000 nits peak brightness and says they are protected by Xiaomi Dragon Crystal Glass 3. Xiaomi has also implemented hardware-level privacy screens that restrict off-angle viewing and can be triggered by location; the company says the feature will block notifications, floating windows and split-view app layouts and is accessible via a dedicated AI button on the left-hand side.

The rear panel returns as a functional second display. Xiaomi demonstrated that users can build rear-screen mini apps with Xiao AI, including a drinking-water reminder, an egg timer and a recipe recommendation utility. The rear surface can host custom AI wallpapers and widgets, interact with Xiao AI and act as a viewfinder for the triple rear cameras.

Cameras, battery and pricing

Both phones share an identical three-module rear camera array. The main sensor is a 200 megapixel Light Hunter 960 unit at a 23 millimeter equivalent and 1/1.28-inch size. It is joined by a 200 megapixel periscope telephoto at a 75 millimeter equivalent and 1/1.56-inch sensor size with 3.2x optical zoom, and a 50 megapixel ultrawide that covers 102 degrees.

Battery capacities increase over the previous generation: the 18 Pro uses a 7,000 mAh cell, which Xiaomi describes as 11 percent larger, while the 18 Pro Max packs an 8,500 mAh cell, described as 13 percent larger. Both phones support 100 watt wired charging, 50 watt wireless charging and 27 watt reverse wireless charging. They boot Xiaomi HyperOS 4 and carry IP69 ingress protection.

Color options for both models include black, white, pink and blue, with a special red edition that features transparent back elements. Pricing starts at CNY 5,999 ($895) for the Xiaomi 18 Pro and CNY 6,999 ($1,045) for the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max in their 12GB/256GB configurations. Xiaomi's published configuration pricing is CNY 5,999 ($895) for the 18 Pro 12GB/256GB and CNY 6,999 ($1,045) for the 18 Pro Max 12GB/256GB; CNY 6,999 ($1,045) for the 18 Pro 12GB/512GB and CNY 7,999 ($1,193) for the 18 Pro Max 12GB/512GB; CNY 7,999 ($1,193) for the 18 Pro 16GB/512GB and CNY 8,999 ($1,343) for the 18 Pro Max 16GB/512GB; CNY 8,999 ($1,343) for the 18 Pro 16GB/1TB and CNY 9,999 ($1,492) for the 18 Pro Max 16GB/1TB; and CNY 9,999 ($1,492) for the 18 Pro 16GB/1TB Special Edition and CNY 10,999 ($1,642) for the 18 Pro Max 16GB/1TB Special Edition.

Xiaomi confirmed a global launch will follow later this year.