Xiaomi 18 Pro Series Launch Keeps 5,999 Yuan Starting Price, Adds Transparent Special Edition

The Xiaomi 18 Pro starts at 5,999 yuan for 12GB+256GB, with 12GB+512GB, 16GB+512GB and 16GB+1TB versions also offered. Xiaomi also introduced a transparent special edition available only in 16GB+1TB, priced at 9,999 yuan and 10,999 yuan for the two models and bundled with a transparent 100W fast charger. iFanr said at least one model can use China’s national subsidy.

The 18 Pro uses a 6.4-inch Super Pixel 2.0 display, up from 6.3 inches, while keeping the body width around 72mm. Xiaomi said the display uses hardware-level privacy protection by adding a light-shielding layer to half the pixels; it supports window-level and notification-level privacy, plus smart global privacy toggles. Because it retains full RGB subpixels, sharpness is less affected when privacy mode is on. The screen has 0.99mm bezels on both models, a peak local brightness of 4,000 nits and up to 86% BT.2020 color gamut, using a new green emitting material co-developed with Tsinghua University.

Camera upgrades are a major focus. The 18 Pro has the same main and telephoto sensors as the Pro Max: a 1/1.28-inch 200-megapixel Light Hunter 960 main sensor and a 1/1.56-inch 200-megapixel Samsung HP5 telephoto sensor. Xiaomi said the telephoto’s light intake is 280% higher than the 17 Pro. Both phones inherit the end-to-end imaging large model first shown on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. A new Legendary Moment mode uses an on-device image model to produce black-and-white film, contemporary classic and legendary CCD styles. Users can upload those photos to a cloud large model for finer processing, but cloud processing consumes Xiaomi AI points; new buyers get a three-month allowance.

The 18 Pro is powered by the sixth-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, which Xiaomi positions around extreme energy efficiency. With a new-material VC heat spreader, Xiaomi said most games can run at useful frame rates while cutting energy consumption by 15%. The phone has a stacked battery with about 32% silicon content, reaching 7,000mAh in the 6.4-inch body. It supports 100W Xiaomi fast charging and 100W PPS universal fast charging.

The 18 Pro Max moves to a 6.9-inch Super Pixel 2.0 display with the same 0.99mm bezels, 4,000-nit peak brightness, 86% BT.2020 coverage and pixel-level hardware privacy. Xiaomi increased the curvature of the mid-frame wrapping the back panel from 1.38mm on the previous Pro Max to 1.9mm, aiming to reduce the sharp feel of the large screen. Both models also upgrade the rear display: it uses the same M11-series emitting material as the front screen, reaches 400 PPI and narrows bezels to 1.12mm and 1.22mm. Xiaomi offers more than 100 preset rear-screen app cards and supports generating personal app cards through Super Xiao Ai using vibe coding, including small games, tools and a digital wooden fish. These generative features, along with AI wallpaper matching and group-photo functions, consume computing points.

The 18 Pro Max uses a Light Hunter 960L main sensor with LOFIC, offering 16.2 stops of dynamic range. Xiaomi also thickened the rear display module so the lenses and rear screen form a flat plane, addressing dust accumulation around the lenses on the 17 Pro series. The phone runs the sixth-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, positioned for extreme performance at 5.0GHz. It has an 8,500mAh battery, a 0916C large linear motor and a three-speaker setup that Xiaomi says can actively prevent call audio leakage.

The transparent special edition was the final product shown at the event. iFanr described it as one of Xiaomi’s most refined recent bar-phone designs. With the hardware specifications of recent bar phones already near their limits, Xiaomi is using the special edition to add value beyond parameters as it pushes further into the high-end market.

Editor's Summary

Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, keeping the 18 Pro’s starting price at 5,999 yuan and adding a 16GB+1TB transparent special edition priced at 9,999 yuan and 10,999 yuan. The two models emphasize upgraded displays, 200-megapixel dual large sensors, AI-backed imaging and rear-screen features, plus larger batteries. The launch shows Xiaomi continuing to push high-end design and AI services while hardware price increases pressure the smartphone market.