Xiaomi 18 Pro Leak Hints at Dedicated AI Button, Subtle Design Changes

Xiaomi 17 series was launched in China in September last year. While the standard model retained a conventional smartphone design, the Xiaomi 17 Pro lineup was unveiled with a secondary display on the back panel, which displays notifications while also allowing users to play arcade games on it. Months after its debut, the smartphone maker has seemingly started working on its flagship phone, which might also introduce another design change. Dubbed Xiaomi 18 Pro, the design of the handset has been spotted in leaked renders online, which suggest that the phone might feature a new physical button on the left side.

Xiaomi 18 Pro Design, Features (Expected)

In a post on X, tech commentator Leo Hefeng has shared the purported renders of the Xiaomi 18 Pro. While the images show the rumoured flagship smartphone without a rear panel, they still hint at what the handset might offer in terms of other design elements. The image shows that the smartphone will feature a new physical button, which could be placed on the right side of the phone. The button appears with the AI branding.

Hefend claims that this new dedicated AI button will be used for performing various AI tasks. He said that the new physical button on the Xiaomi 18 Pro will offer “one-tap” control for connected car features and smart home functionalities. Moreover, users will be able to access other AI-powered features, including “Xiaomi miclaw”, in any particular situation with a single click.

The render also shows the phone with two camera lenses, housed inside a rectangular camera module, which is expected to also house a secondary display, similar to its predecessor. While it appears to show the internals of the purported smartphone, the design appears to be similar to the Xiaomi 17 Pro, which was launched last year.

Recently, a report highlighted that the Xiaomi 18 Pro will be launched later this year with a 7,000mAh or larger battery. Moreover, the smartphone is expected to feature 100W wired fast charging support. The Xiaomi 18 Pro will reportedly be equipped with two 200-megapixel cameras on the back, offering telephoto and macro capabilities. It is worth noting that the company has yet to confirm any of these details. Hence, one should take it with a pinch of salt.

The phone is expected to succeed the Xiaomi 17 Pro, which was launched in China in September 2025 at a starting price of CNY 5,999 (roughly Rs. 75,000) for the base variant, offering 12GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage. To recap, the handset is powered by Qualcomm's 3nm octa core Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, paired with a 6,300mAh battery. It also features a Leica-tuned triple rear camera system, led by a 50-megapixel primary shooter.