Xiaomi 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max global launch set for November 17th; India launch tipped for December
Xiaomi is bringing its Pro flagship lineup to global markets this month, with the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max set to make their international debut on November 17th. The launch is significan, as the company had restricted the previous generation’s Pro models to China. India could also get a Pro model this time, with a new leak pointing to a December launch for the Xiaomi 18 Pro.
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Launch and India availability
Xiaomi has confirmed that the Xiaomi 18 Pro series will launch globally at an event in Paris on November 17 at 1 pm UTC (6.30 pm IST). The event will be livestreamed on YouTube and X, with the company promising “more surprises”. The announcement specifically mentions the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, so there won’t be a vanilla Xiaomi 18, or the Ultra for that matter (which anyway arrives later). Xiaomi could, however, introduce other ecosystem products, including the Xiaomi Watch S5 41mm.
In India, tipster Gadgetsdata claims that the Xiaomi 18 Pro will launch in December. This would mark the return of the company’s Pro flagship lineup after more than three years. The Xiaomi 13 Pro was the last Pro model to launch in India, debuting in February 2023. Xiaomi subsequently focused on bringing its standard and Ultra models to the country.
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Expected European price and specifications
The Xiaomi 18 Pro is tipped to cost EUR 1,449 (around Rs 1.53 lakh) for the 12GB + 256GB variant and EUR 1,649 (around Rs 1.74 lakh) for the 512GB model in Europe. The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max could retail at EUR 1,849 (around Rs 1.95 lakh) with 512GB storage. These prices are based on leaks, and earlier retailer listings have suggested somewhat lower figures. At these prices, the Pro Max would compete directly with the iPhone 18 Pro Max in Europe. The leaked pricing also puts Xiaomi’s offerings in an expensive segment alongside OPPO’s recently launched flagships, the OPPO Find X10 series, which retails in a similar range.
There could also be a notable difference between the Chinese and European variants. The Xiaomi 18 Pro will reportedly pack a 6,000mAh battery in Europe, down from 7,000mAh in China. The Pro Max could get a 7,050mAh battery instead of the Chinese model’s 8,500mAh cell. Wired charging is also expected to drop from 100W to 90W on the European Pro, while the Pro Max retains 100W charging. Both will reportedly support 50W wireless charging. This is due to regulatory requirements in Europe.
The core hardware is expected to remain similar, including Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series processors and dual 200MP rear cameras. The smaller Xiaomi 18 Pro features a 6.4-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, while the Pro Max gets a larger 6.9-inch panel. Both the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max feature a secondary display on the rear and a Leica dual-200MP camera system. The interactive 120Hz rear display supports widgets, notifications, customisation and camera previews, allowing users to take selfies and shoot videos using the primary cameras.
For Indian buyers, the December launch makes the Xiaomi 18 Pro worth waiting for, particularly given the return of the compact Pro flagship category. However, the final Indian pricing and battery specifications will matter. Xiaomi will need to justify its premium over rivals, especially if the global models lose some of the battery capacity offered by their Chinese counterparts.
