Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max launch with Snapdragon 8 Elite chips, privacy displays

Xiaomi unveiled the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max on September 23, 2026, in China, making them the first smartphones on the market to feature Qualcomm's newly announced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 processors. Both chips are manufactured on a 2-nanometer process and operate at peak frequencies up to 5 GHz. The Pro Max variant uses the Extreme version, which sits in a different package designed for faster heat dissipation and sustained gaming performance.

Both devices feature hardware-level privacy displays that restrict viewing angles, preventing on-lookers from seeing screen content. Xiaomi's implementation offers more granular control than Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra privacy feature: it supports location-based triggers, blocks notifications and floating windows when activated, and can detect prying eyes via the selfie camera. A dedicated AI button on the left side provides quick access. The phones retain rear-mounted secondary displays—2.7 inches on the Pro and 2.9 inches on the Pro Max—which support over 100 optimized apps and new AI-powered mini-apps created by users via Xiaomi's Xiao AI assistant.

Camera systems are identical across both models: a 200-megapixel main shooter with a 1/1.28-inch Light Hunter 960 sensor and Leica tuning, a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto with 3.2x optical zoom and minimum 12cm focus distance, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide. Main displays measure 6.4 inches (Pro) and 6.9 inches (Pro Max), both LTPO AMOLEDs with 4,000 nits peak brightness and 1-120Hz variable refresh rates. Battery capacity increases to 7,000 mAh (Pro) and 8,500 mAh (Pro Max), supporting 100W wired, 50W wireless, and 27W reverse wireless charging. Both run HyperOS 4 on Android 17 and carry IP69 ingress protection.

Chinese pricing starts at CNY 5,999 (approximately $895) for the 18 Pro with 12GB/256GB and CNY 6,999 (approximately $1,045) for the 18 Pro Max in the same configuration. A special transparent red edition with 16GB/1TB storage costs CNY 9,999 (Pro) and CNY 10,999 (Pro Max); first-batch units sold out on launch night. Standard colors include black, white, pink, and blue.

Xiaomi confirmed a global launch will occur later in 2026, marking the first international release of a Pro-series flagship since the 17 Pro skipped overseas markets. The standard Xiaomi 18 model was not presented at the event; company president Lu Weibing stated it will launch separately, potentially in December with a Snapdragon 8 Ultra Gen 6 processor. Xiaomi also announced the Watch S5 (from CNY 1,299), a transparent 47mm edition limited to 5,000 units (CNY 2,499), Smart Band 11 ceramic edition (CNY 499), and Pad 9 and Pad 9 Pro tablets.