Xiaomi launched the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in China on September 23, 2026. The headline feature is a privacy screen that uses the front camera to spot people looking over your shoulder. This time the phones won’t stay in China. Xiaomi has confirmed a global launch of the Xiaomi 18 Pro series for later this year. The Xiaomi 17 Pro, by contrast, stayed China-only.
As of September 24, Xiaomi hasn’t given an international date or market list. Global pricing is still unannounced too. For now, the China prices below are the only firm numbers.
How the Xiaomi 18 Pro privacy screen works
According to 9to5Google, the phone uses its front camera to detect onlookers and switches on a privacy mode automatically. It can also use location data to trigger the mode in crowded places. 9to5Google notes this is Xiaomi’s take on the Privacy Display idea from Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra. Xiaomi offers it on both the compact and the larger model.
There’s an irony worth noting. A privacy feature that works by watching faces and tracking your location is itself a privacy question. Launch coverage so far doesn’t say whether the onlooker detection runs entirely on the phone. Buyers should look for that detail before treating the feature as a pure win.
Batteries, displays and chips
The batteries are huge: 7,000mAh on the Pro and 8,500mAh on the Pro Max. Both use Xiaomi’s new Jinshajiang silicon-carbon cells, which fonearena.com reports contain 32% silicon. Charging is 100W wired and 27W wireless on both.
Bezels shrink to 0.99mm on all four sides, and peak brightness reaches 4,000 nits. The small rear display returns too. The Pro runs the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, while the Pro Max gets the 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. A red Transparent Edition with a clear Dragon Crystal Glass 3.0 back is available for both, in 16GB+1TB only. Per fonearena.com, Xiaomi Group Partner and President Lu Weibing led the event.
Xiaomi 18 Pro Pricing and Availability
Sales in China start later this week, per fonearena.com. Dollar figures are approximate conversions.
Xiaomi 18 Pro
- 12GB+256GB: 5,999 CNY (about $895)
- 12GB+512GB: 6,999 CNY (about $1,044)
- 16GB+512GB: 7,999 CNY (about $1,193)
- 16GB+1TB: 8,999 CNY (about $1,343)
- 16GB+1TB Transparent Edition: 9,999 CNY (about $1,492)
Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
- 12GB+256GB: 6,999 CNY (about $1,044)
- 12GB+512GB: 7,999 CNY (about $1,193)
- 16GB+512GB: 8,999 CNY (about $1,343)
- 16GB+1TB: 9,999 CNY (about $1,492)
- 16GB+1TB Transparent Edition: 10,999 CNY (about $1,640)
Specifications
The two phones share cameras and charging, and differ mainly in size, battery and chip.
Xiaomi 18 Pro
- Display: 6.4-inch AMOLED, 2436×1120, LTPO 1-120Hz, 4,000 nits peak
- Rear display: 2.7-inch
- Chip: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6
- Memory: 12/16GB RAM, 256GB/512GB/1TB storage
- Cameras: co-engineered with Leica; 200MP main, 200MP 3.2x telephoto, 50MP ultrawide
- Battery: 7,000mAh, 100W wired, 27W wireless
Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
- Display: 6.9-inch AMOLED, 2624×1208, 120Hz
- Rear display: 2.9-inch
- Chip: Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 (2nm)
- Memory: 12/16GB RAM, 256GB/512GB/1TB storage
- Cameras: co-engineered with Leica; 200MP main, 200MP 3.2x telephoto, 50MP ultrawide
- Battery: 8,500mAh, 100W wired, 27W wireless
Sources: 9to5Google, fonearena.com, GSMArena
