
At the ongoing India Mobile Congress 2026 (IMC), Xiaomi took the stage at Snapdragon Day to confirm the release of the Xiaomi 18 Pro in India. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 processor, the flagship will join the iQOO 16 and Motorola Signature 27 as part of the first batch of phones to launch with the chipset in the country. Launched in China a few weeks back, the Xiaomi 18 Pro boasts a compact-ish 6.4-inch OLED display and dual 200MP rear cameras.
At IMC 2026, one of the largest technology events for mobile devices, Gautam Batra, Associate Director of Product Marketing at Xiaomi India, officially confirmed the India launch of the Xiaomi 18 Pro. While the exact launch date is still under wraps, the device is expected to launch in the next few months.
Compared with other Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 smartphones launching soon, the Xiaomi 18 Pro will be smaller but pack the same performance as the iQOO 16 and Motorola Signature 27. With a large sensor-sized 200MP primary camera and a 200MP periscope lens with 3.2x optical zoom, the 18 Pro should stand out for its camera capabilities and film simulations, courtesy of the LEICA partnership.
Based on the Xiaomi 18 Pro launched in China, it pairs a 6.4-inch flat 1.5K LTPO AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 4,000 nits peak brightness, plus a 2.7-inch LTPO AMOLED rear screen with the same refresh rate and peak brightness. Inside, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 comes bundled with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage.
For cameras, a 200MP Light Fusion 960 1/1.28-ich main sensor with OIS, a 200MP periscope telephoto with OIS and 3.2x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide make the cut on the Xiaomi 18 Pro. A 50MP front camera handles selfies.
In China, the phone ships with a 7,000mAh battery, 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. The rest of the kit includes Wi-Fi 7, UWB, USB 3.2 Gen 1, stereo speakers, a dedicated AI button and an IP68 rating. For software, the Xiaomi 18 Pro will boot on Android 17 with HyperOS 4. The skin features various design and AI enhancements for a better overall experience.
A notable addition is Super Pixel Display 2.0, Xiaomi’s hardware-based privacy display technology. It uses dedicated privacy pixels and physical baffles to restrict the viewing angle. Samsung introduced the concept with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, while Huawei has also brought hardware-based display privacy to the Mate XT 2.
In India, the Xiaomi 17 already starts at Rs 89,999, and flagship parts are getting more expensive, so the 18 Pro could push past Rs 1 lakh. Anyone set on Xiaomi’s top hardware will have to decide whether the rear display and dual 200MP cameras justify that premium. It’s also worth waiting for the iQOO 16 and Motorola Signature 27 to launch to compare pricing before deciding.