Xiaomi 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max launch in China with dual 200MP cameras
Xiaomi launched the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in China on 23 September, both with identical Leica triple cameras pairing a 200MP main and a 200MP periscope, priced from CNY 5,999 and CNY 6,999 respectively.
The details
- Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max in China on 23 September 2026.
- Both models carry the same Leica-branded triple rear camera: a 200MP main, a 200MP periscope telephoto and a 50MP ultrawide with a 102-degree field of view.
- The main camera uses a Type 1/1.28-inch sensor at f/1.67 with optical stabilisation rated at 7 stops under CIPA testing.
- The 200MP periscope telephoto uses a Type 1/1.56-inch sensor at f/2.4 with 3.2x optical zoom.
- The 18 Pro has a 6.4-inch 2436×1120 LTPO OLED and the 18 Pro Max a 6.9-inch 2624×1208 LTPO OLED, both 120Hz with 4,000-nit peak brightness.
- The 18 Pro runs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and the 18 Pro Max runs the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, which GSMArena lists as a 2nm part.
- The 18 Pro has a 7,000mAh battery and the 18 Pro Max an 8,500mAh battery, each with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.
- Chinese pricing starts at CNY 5,999 for the 18 Pro and CNY 6,999 for the 18 Pro Max, both in 12GB/256GB trim.
- Both phones have a secondary OLED screen on the rear behind a transparent glass panel, plus a customisable AI button.
- Xiaomi says the series will go on sale in global markets later in 2026, which PetaPixel notes is the first time a Xiaomi Pro-series phone has launched outside China.
Why it matters
Fitting two 200MP sensors to one phone pushes high resolution out of the main camera and into the zoom, where small sensors have long been the binding constraint. Xiaomi's "world's first" framing is contested, however — DPReview points out that rivals shipped comparable 200MP configurations the same month — so the more consequential change for most readers is that a Xiaomi Pro phone is going on sale outside China for the first time.