Early launch for Xiaomi 18? How things could change

The month of September is usually dedicated to launches of the main flagship models from Chinese manufacturers, in response to Cupertino’s news. The iPhone 18 is expected for this period and its rival par excellence will be Xiaomi 18: debut in China is expected by the end of September, but some early signs suggest an international release ahead of schedule.

It would be a turning point for the Xiaomi flagship family, usually presented at the Barcelona MWC. This time there will be no need to wait until February/March?

Xiaomi 18 (Global) could arrive earlier than expected: here’s what certifications reveal

As with the unveiling of the future Xiaomi 18, Lei Jun’s company could shake things up by aligning the launch in China with the Global one, or almost. In these hours several certifications have surfaced for what should be the next flagship: from the code name madrid and stamped 2611FPNFAG, the top-of-the-line has appeared in the GSMA database in various versions.

The model has been certified for India, Global, Japan: in all cases the numbering “2611” is present, and Xiaomi enthusiasts who pay close attention to leaks know well what it means. In general these indicate the release window, i.e. November 2026.

The time window, in general, is variable: the debut can occur in the same month or after a short delay (up to a maximum of three months).

The end of the Ultra series

There is another detail that leans toward an earlier Global release than usual. Some sources claim there won’t be an Ultra model: Xiaomi would have ended the lineup to integrate flagship Camera Phone features directly into the base family.

Likely, Xiaomi 18 Pro Max will be the true premium Camera Phone of the next generation while Xiaomi 18 Pro will represent the mid-range choice.

Without the Ultra model, there would be no point in waiting until the end of February: typically the debut at the MWC coincides with the China launch of a boosted Ultra version, so as to launch in Europe the base model and the latest-generation Camera Phone.

Eliminating the Ultra, the range would already be complete, without further additions: at this point it is reasonable to hypothesize that the Xiaomi 18 Global series could make its appearance around December/January. Probably in Europe the standard model and one of the two Pro will arrive, a first-ever for the flagship family (usually the Pro models are limited to China).

Anyway it’s worth noting that this is only hypothesis: as usual the final word belongs to Xiaomi, so there’s nothing left but to wait for official updates!

Xiaomi 18 – Presumed specifications

• Dimensions and weight: /
• Colors: /
• Certification: IP68
• Display: Flat OLED 6.4″ 1.5K, LIPO, LTPO refresh rate 120 Hz, touch sampling 300 Hz, 12-bit color, DC Dimming 2160 Hz and peak brightness up to 3,500 nits
• Security: under-display fingerprint reader (ultrasound)
• Liquid cooling with vapor chamber
• SoC: UNRELEASED – Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, 2 nm TSMC (N2p)
• CPU: octa-core (2 + 3 + 3)
• GPU: Adreno 850
• RAM: 12/16 GB LPDDR5X
• Storage: 256/512 GB/1 TB UFS 4.1 non-expandable
• Battery: over 7,000 mAh
• Charging: 100W, wireless 50W, reverse wired/wireless 22.5W
• Camera: triple 50 + 50 + 200 MP (f/?) with Light Fusion, OIS, ultrawide and periscope telephoto with OIS | Leica optics
• Selfie camera: 50 MP (f/2.2), FOV 90°, autofocus
• Connectivity and others: Dual SIM 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, Dual GPS, stereo speakers, USB-C 3.2 Gen 1
• Operating system: Android 17 with HyperOS 4