Here I was, thinking the dual displays on the Xiaomi 17 Pro series were gimmicky and not here to stay. I was wrong. Xiaomi has doubled down on the secondary-display design with the just-announced Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. That’s right, folks. It is that time of year for the flagship models in Xiaomi’s numbered series, and yes, the secondary rear display has returned.
Not only has it returned, but Xiaomi has introduced a bunch of uses through a feature called “app cards.” As before, Xiaomi continues to take a page from Apple’s playbook, choosing to retain the same design as the previous-generation models.
The rear display now has narrower bezels (1.22 mm, if you really must know) and sits flush with the camera lenses, allowing the phones to lie more steadily on a flat surface. It supports hundreds of app cards, AI-generated personalized cards, group-photo assistance, pet, character, and anime-themed creations, and various shortcuts.
So, no, it is not merely a glorified clock sitting beside the cameras anymore. Well, it wasn’t previously, either. Just that now it has made itself more useful. But it begs the question: what can the rear display do that you cannot already do without flipping the phone around? Food for thought.
Performance comes courtesy of Qualcomm’s new 2 nm flagship silicon. The Xiaomi 18 Pro [CH] receives the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, while the 18 Pro Max [CH] gets the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. The latter uses high-thermal-conductivity Offset PoP packaging, which Xiaomi claims can improve sustained performance by around 100%. Both models feature LPDDR5X memory and UFS 4.1 storage.
Up front is a Super Pixel 2.0 display using Xiaomi’s M11 panel technology, 2K resolution, LTPO variable refresh, and four nearly symmetrical bezels measuring around 1 mm (0.99 mm, to be precise). The Pro Max is a 6.9-inch item, while the Pro gets a handlier 6.4-inch display.
Both devices rock Xiaomi Longjing (Dragon Crystal) Glass 3.0. The displays also boast a new privacy-screen feature. Clearly, Xiaomi is not about to let Samsung have all the spotlight when it comes to privacy displays. However, the Chinese tech giant has taken a different approach. Its hardware-level intelligent privacy protection can activate automatically for selected apps or situations, including specific parts of the display.
And then there’s the camera system co-engineered with Leica. Both phones feature Leica Summilux triple-camera systems, but their main cameras are not exactly the same. The Xiaomi 18 Pro uses a 200 MP Light Fusion 960 sensor, described as an “ultra-clear” large-sensor main camera. The 18 Pro Max receives the 200 MP Light Fusion 960L, described instead as a “high-dynamic” large-sensor main camera.
Both sensors measure 1/1.28 inches and are paired with an f/1.67 aperture and 23 mm-equivalent lens. They also support 16-in-1 pixel binning for 2.44 μm pixels, OIS, QPD focusing, and a 1G+6P aspherical high-transmittance lens assembly.
The remaining rear cameras are identical. Both models have a 200 MP 1/1.56-inch periscope telephoto camera with an f/2.4 aperture, 3.2× optical zoom, 12 cm telephoto macro photography, and OIS. A 50 MP ultrawide camera provides an f/2.4 aperture, 17 mm-equivalent focal length, 102° field of view, autofocus, and 5 cm macro capability. Xiaomi has also introduced an “Original Color” photographic style that places greater emphasis on Leica’s color treatment.
The compact Xiaomi 18 Pro packs a battery exceeding 7,000 mAh, while the larger 18 Pro Max goes all the way to 8,500 mAh. Both support 100 W wired charging and 50 W wireless charging. The Max also benefits from stronger cooling for sustained gaming and other heavy workloads.
Other highlights include an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, three symmetrically arranged speakers, a large vibration motor, and a new dedicated AI button.
Chinese prices start at 5,999 yuan [CH] (around US$842) for the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 6,999 yuan [CH] (around US$982) for the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max. Before you go, we need to talk about the colors. Both models are available in the same colors. There’s the Ice Peach Pink, Milky Way Blue, Black, and White. But that’s not it. Those are not it.
The new Xiaomi 18 Pro series is also giving Nothing a run for its money with a transparent edition. This particular model is presented in blood red and has a transparent back featuring Xiaomi Longjin (Dragon Crystal) Glass 3.0 that makes some of the internals visible.
Interestingly, the internals are layered, meaning you can see two levels of components—not just the immediate layer after the back cover. There’s the wireless charging coil, while a cutaway at the bottom of the phone reveals the second layer, where the speakers and stuff are located. This gives the device a very engineering-focused look.
Obviously, the presence of a secondary display prevents the camera module from being transparent, but you can always slap on a wallpaper to mimic transparency. The red, transparent aesthetic does not end there. The package also includes a blood-red transparent 100 W charging brick, a red charging cable, and a clear protective case with the AI button section finished in red. All of this comes in matching red packaging.
The Xiaomi 18 Pro Series Transparent Edition is a limited-edition phone offered only in a 16 GB + 1 TB configuration. It commands a cool 9,999 yuan (about US$1,490) for the Pro model and 10,999 yuan (about US$1,640) for the Pro Max model. This version does not appear to be available from the Xiaomi online store.
Images: Xiaomi [CH].
