Xiaomi 18 Pro global 2026 launch confirmed
Xiaomi has confirmed that its new flagship 18 Pro phones will receive a global release, following quickly from its Chinese launch.
Last year we only received the Xiaomi 17 here in the UK, not the more interesting Xiaomi 17 Pro – though the Xiaomi 17 Ultra was some consolation. What’s more, it launched in late February, a full five months after its China debut.
Xiaomi looks to be getting its global launch act in order this time around. Having only just announced the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, founder and CEO Lei Jun has taken to X to offer an update on his company’s global plans.
According to the boss, the Xiaomi 18 Pro Series will go global “this year”.
This could theoretically mean a launch the other side of Christmas, some three months from now. We’d venture that’s unlikely, for obvious commercial reasons.
But even if so, it would still represent a massive improvement on Xiaomi’s previous approach.
Xiaomi appears to be streamlining and optimising its smartphone launch schedule, with widespread reports that it has ditched the prospect of a Xiaomi 18 Ultra flagship and is going all in on the Pro.
That’s fair enough, given the specs involved.
Xiaomi 18 Pro specs and pricing
The Xiaomi 18 Pro duo offer dual 200Mp cameras (with 50Mp ultra-wides), rear-mounted secondary displays, and a take on the Privacy Display that debuted in the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The regular Xiaomi 18 Pro runs on the recently announced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chip, while the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max goes one better with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 variant.
You get a larger 6.9-inch 2624 x 1208 AMOLED display with the Max, and a more compact 6.4-inch 2436 x 1120 AMOLED with the regular Pro.
Xiaomi
There’s a whopping great 8500mAh battery in the Pro Max, and a 7000mAh cell in the Pro. Both supply 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.
Prices start from ¥5,999 (£675) for the Xiaomi 18 Pro and ¥6,999 (£790) for the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, but expect those converted prices to be much higher come global rollout time.
Presumably, given the latest news, we won’t have long to wait for detailed news on its international launch.
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