- Xiaomi 18 series is being tested in black, white, pink, blue, and red, according to a leak from Digital Chat Station.
- The leak suggests that the devices will use fiberglass instead of a glass back.
- The Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to maintain the same design as their predecessors, including rear screens.
- The Xiaomi 18 is tipped to be among the first smartphones featuring the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, built on TSMC's 2nm process.
- The expected launch price for the Xiaomi 18 may exceed 5,499 yuan, which is over 1,000 yuan more than the Xiaomi 17, due to rising memory costs.
Xiaomi's 18 Pro and Pro Max are generating buzz ahead of their expected launch next month, featuring a fiberglass back and a rich color selection of black, white, pink, blue, and red. These models will likely be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro SoC, the most powerful mobile chip to date.12346
The price for the Xiaomi 18 is projected to exceed 5,499 yuan, which is over 1,000 yuan higher than the Xiaomi 17's starting price. This increase is attributed to rising memory costs, which Xiaomi's executives have indicated will remain elevated through 2027 and possibly into 2028. As one executive noted, "He expects those costs to remain elevated at least through the end of 2027, possibly extending into 2028."7
The new models are expected to maintain the design of their predecessors, including rear screens that may see size increases. The camera setup is also rumored to feature a dual 200MP configuration, a significant upgrade from the triple 50MP array of the Xiaomi 17, raising questions about whether the price hike will be justified by these enhancements.5
As the smartphone market faces an industry-wide squeeze, Xiaomi appears to be the first to openly address these challenges, setting a precedent for future pricing strategies in the sector.
“The leak from Digital Chat Station indicates the Xiaomi 18 series will drop glass backs for fiberglass, a trend among Chinese manufacturers. The price hike is tied to memory costs that Xiaomi expects to stay elevated through 2027, possibly into 2028, affecting the entire industry.”
