Xiaomi 18 Pro: privacy screen, AI button and two 200MP cameras in leaks

The expected September launch of the Xiaomi 18 series is still a few months away, but the noise around the future flagships is already getting louder. According to Chinese insiders, the Xiaomi 18 Pro is being tested with Privacy Display technology, which narrows the screen’s viewing angles and makes it harder for people nearby to read the display from the side. A similar hardware-level idea is already used in the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, while Xiaomi, if the rumors are accurate, may combine a hardware layer with software controls.

That idea lines up well with work around HyperOS 4, where Xiaomi was previously said to be exploring software-based viewing-angle reduction. How effective the Xiaomi 18 Pro implementation turns out to be will depend on whether the final device gets a separate hardware layer, as Samsung’s model does, or whether most of the work falls to software. Either way, privacy screens are quickly moving from a rare Ultra-model feature to a new benchmark for the premium segment.

The cameras could also change noticeably. A 200MP main module for future Xiaomi flagships no longer sounds surprising, but now a sensor with the same resolution is also being linked to the periscope telephoto camera in the Xiaomi 18 Pro lineup. Instead of the previous 50MP periscope with a 115mm focal length and 5x optical zoom, leaks point to a 200MP module at 85mm with roughly 3–3.5x magnification. On paper, optical reach would be shorter, but the extra resolution could help Xiaomi make up the difference with “lossless” digital zoom.

Another new detail is said to be a dedicated AI button. According to leaks, one press would launch Xiaomi’s Miclaw AI agent, a double press would connect to the Xiaomi SU7 electric car to check status or start it remotely, and a long press would activate smart-home scenarios. If the information is confirmed, this would not simply be an Action Button alternative, but an attempt to link Xiaomi’s phone, car and home ecosystem through one physical key.

The biggest jump is expected in batteries: the standard Xiaomi 18 could get a 7000–7800 mAh battery, while the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max could reach 8500 mAh with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging. Performance is rumored to come from 2nm Qualcomm chips: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 for the Xiaomi 18 and 18 Pro, while a more powerful SM8975 Pro version with an upgraded GPU, larger cache and LPDDR6 support would go to the Pro Max. Xiaomi has not confirmed these details, so the final specifications should become clearer closer to the announcement.