Xiaomi 18 Leaks: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and 200MP Periscope Camera?

While the official launch is still several months away, preliminary reports regarding Xiaomi’s next-generation flagship smartphones have begun to circulate within the tech community. The Chinese manufacturer is expected to unveil the Xiaomi 18 series—comprising the standard model, the 18 Pro, and the 18 Pro Max—in September, following the release cycle established by last year’s Xiaomi 17 lineup.

Ahead of the anticipated autumn debut, a Chinese tech blogger has released a render purporting to show the design of the base Xiaomi 18 model. While the authenticity of the image remains unverified and should be approached with caution, it offers a potential glimpse into the company’s evolving design language.

A New Aesthetic Direction

The leaked render depicts a device featuring a square-shaped camera module with softened, rounded corners, marking a departure from previous iterations. The triple-camera system is arranged in a triangular layout, accompanied by an LED flash and subtle Leica branding. Industry observers have noted that this minimalist aesthetic shares visual similarities with the recently announced Oppo Reno 15 series.

Display Expansion and Battery Capacity

According to information provided by the tipster Digital Chat Station, the standard Xiaomi 18 may see a slight increase in display size, moving from 6.3 inches to 6.4 inches.

This increase in physical dimensions is expected to have practical implications for internal hardware. Given that the predecessor, the Xiaomi 17, already housed a substantial 7,000mAh battery, analysts suggest that the larger chassis of the Xiaomi 18 could accommodate an even larger battery cell, potentially setting a new standard for endurance in its class.

Powering the device will reportedly be Qualcomm’s next-generation silicon, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chipset.

Camera Specifications: The Move to 200MP

Significant upgrades are also rumored for the imaging system. Digital Chat Station indicates that the entire Xiaomi 18 lineup could feature a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera.

If accurate, the camera configuration for the new series would likely include:

• Main Camera: 50 MP

• Ultra-wide Camera: 50 MP

• Telephoto Camera: 200 MP (Periscope zoom)

Given the projected launch timeline later this year, the devices are expected to ship with Android 17 out of the box, overlaid with the latest version of Xiaomi’s proprietary HyperOS.