Xiaomi 18 Series Leaks Reveal Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Chips 200MP Periscope Camera and Major Flagship Upgrades

The Xiaomi 17 series was launched in China in September 2025 and hasn't launched globally yet, but rumors about the Xiaomi 18 series have already begun. Many rumors currently concern the phones' chipset and camera upgrades. And today in this blog we will tell you all those leaked specs, so stay tuned till the end.

In a post on Weibo, reliable tipster Digital Chat Station (translated from Chinese) has shared (via GizmoChina) the launch timeline and specifications of Chinese tech company Xiaomi's upcoming flagship smartphone series. The Xiaomi 18 series is reportedly set to launch in China in September.

The Xiaomi 17 series is powered by Qualcomm's flagship octa core 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

With that Qualcomm is expected to introduce the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro in September. The standard Xiaomi 18 is expected to feature the regular Gen 6 chip, while the 18 Pro and Pro Max could feature the more powerful Gen 6 Pro processor. The Pro chip includes features like LPDDR6 RAM support and improved GPU performance, which could increase the phone's price. However, Xiaomi may adopt a strategy to keep the flagship more affordable by offering a more affordable chip in the base model.

Regarding the display, the Xiaomi 17 and 17 Pro featured a 6.3-inch LTPO AMOLED compact display. This could increase to around 6.4 inches on the new Xiaomi 18, allowing for better thermal management and a larger camera module. The Pro model's size will remain the same.

So, the Xiaomi 17 Pro had a 50MP periscope telephoto (5x optical zoom), while the base model came with a standard lens. Now, the Xiaomi 18 is also expected to have a periscope camera in the base model, possibly with the same 50MP sensor. The Pro, Pro Max, and Ultra could feature 200MP periscope telephoto cameras, with some reports suggesting high-end features like dual 200MP sensors (main + zoom). This could allow Xiaomi to directly challenge the competition in premium zoom technology.

Additionally, these phones will come with several additional features, such as the Pro models, which may see a resurgence of the rear secondary display, this time with more useful features. However, you should know that global availability for these high-end variants is currently unclear.

Now, most importantly, the Xiaomi 18 series is expected to launch in China in September, which could be shortly after Qualcomm's new chip announcement. While the upgrades sound attractive, it's best to make a purchase decision only after the final pricing and real-world performance are revealed.