Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max Could Debut First, Standard Model Tipped for December

The Xiaomi 18 Pro series is expected to launch next month as the tech firm's flagship smartphone lineup. The series is said to include the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max. Interestingly, the smartphone maker is now planning to delay the launch of the standard Xiaomi 18 series model, which could arrive months after the Pro models, according to a tipster. This comes as reports have surfaced online about Apple's plans to readjust its launch schedule for this year. The Cupertino company is expected to first launch the iPhone 18 Pro models, along with the iPhone Ultra, while unveiling the standard iPhone 18 early next year.

Xiaomi 18 Series Launch Schedule (Expected)

In a post on Weibo, the Chinese microblogging platform, tipster Digital Chat Station (translated from Chinese) has shared the new launch schedule of an unspecified smartphone lineup. ITHome reports that the details belong to the next-generation Xiaomi handsets. The leaker claims that the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max will be launched first, followed by the debut of the standard Xiaomi 18 in China in December.

If this is true, then the tech firm could be changing its launch schedule for its flagship smartphones this year. Until this year, the company has launched the standard and Pro models on the same day every year. For reference, the Xiaomi 17 Pro, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and the Xiaomi 17 were launched in China on September 25, 2025. Meanwhile, the “17T”, Ultra, and Max models arrived in the subsequent months. However, since the company has yet to confirm these details, one must take it with a pinch of salt.

This comes shortly after a report highlighted that the tech firm will not be launching an Ultra model this year, effectively scrapping the Xiaomi 18 Ultra plans. This suggests that the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max will remain the flagship smartphone from the company till the unveiling of the Xiaomi 19 lineup. Similarly, Oppo and Vivo are also reportedly planning not to launch their respective Ultra model in global markets, making Samsung's flagship phone the only Ultra handset in global markets.

Previously leaked specifications suggest that the Xiaomi 18 Pro will be powered by an unreleased Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 series SoC, which could be built on a 2nm process. The handset is expected to arrive with a 200-megapixel primary camera on the back, paired with a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera. It might also pack a 7,000mAh battery, while offering support for 100W wired fast charging.