ⓘ Witty Cat, Weibo, edited
Xiaomi seems to be moving ahead with the global launch of its latest Leica camera flagships. Official energy labels from the EU database plus storage options, colors and global battery specs for the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, suggest am imminent launch. The official launch prices in Europe might put a damper on your excitement though.
Alexander Fagot (translated by Alexander Fagot), Published 🇩🇪
Xiaomi has already confirmed that Europe will also get its new Pro flagships with Leica cameras this time, which launched in China in late September powered by the brand-new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. With the Xiaomi 18 Ultra canceled, the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max will remain Xiaomi's top flagships for the foreseeable future, and their global prices are correspondingly high, definitely higher than those of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra released just a few months ago.
Even the more compact 6.4-inch Xiaomi 18 Pro costs more than the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which now seems almost ridiculously cheap, at least when comparing the 512 GB versions. With 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, it is expected to start at €1,449 (US$1,627), according to leaker Sudhanshu Ambhore. The 512 GB version will apparently cost €1,649 (US$1,852) in Europe, meaning an extra €200 (US$ 225) for 256 GB of storage. The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max starts at €1,649 (US$1,852) with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, while the 512 GB version will apparently cost €1,849 (US$2,077), which, incidentally, is exactly how much Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max with 512 GB of storage costs in the EU.
Four colors, including a non-transparent Velvet Red
The leaker also mentioned the colors and battery specs and shared some of the corresponding official global renders. According to the leak, alongside the black and white versions also available in China, there will be a red color option called "Velvet Red", which looks quite different from the special edition in China (see the image at the very top). Apart from the different shade of red, the global version is notably not transparent. At least the shimmering blue color available in China is also expected to be sold globally under the name "Cosmic Blue", although a global press image is still missing for this version. The pink option available in China is apparently not planned for Europe.
ⓘ Xiaomi
Global Xiaomi 18 Pro series has smaller batteries, as expected
It was already leaked a few weeks ago that Xiaomi, like Vivo and Oppo, will once again put smaller batteries in the global flagship models, at least in Europe. Sudhanshu`s post "confirms" the smaller 6,000 mAh battery in the Xiaomi 18 Pro and the similarly reduced 7,050 mAh battery in the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max. You can find the EU's EPREL energy labels below. Xiaomi has not yet officially announced a global launch date. Rumors suggest an EU launch as early as December 2026, but it could also take place next year, as usual. Those who do not want to wait that long have already been able to import from China for some time. Prices for the Chinese Xiaomi 18 Pro start at just €857 (US$ 963), making it 40 percent cheaper than the European models, albeit with some compromises.
Editor of the original article: Alexander Fagot - Managing Editor News - 11978 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2016
As a young tech enthusiast with a history involving assembling and overclocking projects, I ended up working as a projectionist with good old 35-mm films before I entered the computer world at a professional level. I assisted customers at an Austrian IT service provider called Iphos IT Solutions for seven years, working as a Windows client and server administrator as well as a project manager. As a freelancer who travels a lot, I have been able to write for Notebookcheck from all corners of the world since 2016. My articles cover brand-new mobile technologies in smartphones, laptops, and gadgets of all kinds.
Alexander Fagot, 2026-10-20 (Update: 2026-10-20)