Xiaomi Unveils 18 Pro Max With Privacy Display and 8,500 mAh Battery

25/09/2026

Xiaomi has launched the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max in China as the top model of its new flagship series. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, packs an 8,500 mAh battery and adds hardware-level protection against screen snooping. Unlike the previous Pro series, which stayed exclusive to China, the new model is also headed for international markets.

Performance and Cooling

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is an upgraded version of Qualcomm's new 2nm chip, built on the fourth-generation Oryon CPU architecture and clocked at up to 5 GHz. The smaller Xiaomi 18 Pro uses the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, which makes the processor one of the key differences between the two models. The chip is paired with 12 or 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1 TB of UFS 4.1 storage.

The Pro Max cooling system has a heat dissipation area of 5,513 mm², compared with 4,355 mm² on the 18 Pro. According to Xiaomi, this lets the phone sustain maximum frame rates in demanding games for a full hour.

Battery and Charging

The silicon-carbon 8,500 mAh battery is 1,500 mAh larger than the one in the Xiaomi 18 Pro. It supports 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging and 27W reverse charging. Xiaomi claims the battery will retain at least 80% of its original capacity after 2,000 charge cycles.

Leica Cameras

The camera system is co-engineered with Leica, and both primary modules use 200MP sensors. The main camera relies on the 1/1.28-inch Light Hunter 960 sensor with optical image stabilization. The periscope telephoto uses a 1/1.56-inch sensor and offers 3.2x optical zoom, with Xiaomi quoting up to 12.8x lossless zoom. A 50MP ultrawide camera and a 50MP front camera complete the setup.

Image processing is handled by the new Legendary Moment system, which combines on-device and cloud computing and offers three signature camera styles. Video recording goes up to 8K.

Displays and New Features

The main display measures 6.9 inches with a 2624 x 1208 resolution, an adaptive 1–120Hz refresh rate and up to 4,000 nits of peak brightness, surrounded by bezels thinner than a millimeter. The phone runs Android 17 with HyperOS 4, which includes the Super XiaoAI 2.0 assistant powered by Xiaomi's MiMo language model.

Privacy protection works at the hardware level: the screen narrows its viewing angles, making content hard to see from the side. The feature turns on automatically for sensitive apps and can also kick in when the front camera detects onlookers nearby.

The rear display measures 2.9 inches, refreshes at up to 120Hz and supports more than 100 app cards at launch, including notifications, quick controls, mini-games and AI-generated widgets.

The AI button can be customized for quick access to privacy mode, voice notes, silent mode or the XiaoAI assistant.

The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max was announced on September 23, 2026, and went on sale in China right after the launch event. The 12/256 GB version costs 6,999 yuan (~$1,045), 12/512 GB costs 7,999 yuan (~$1,194), 16/512 GB costs 8,999 yuan (~$1,343) and 16 GB/1 TB costs 9,999 yuan (~$1,492). Release dates and pricing for other markets have not been announced yet.

Specifications

Display: 6.9" LTPO AMOLED, 2624 x 1208, 1–120Hz, up to 4,000 nits, Xiaomi Dragon Crystal Glass 3
Rear display: 2.9" AMOLED, 976 x 596, up to 120Hz, up to 4,000 nits
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 (2nm), up to 5 GHz
Memory: 12+256 GB, 12+512 GB, 16+512 GB, 16 GB+1 TB (LPDDR5X, UFS 4.1)
Rear cameras: 200MP (1/1.28", OIS) + 200MP periscope (1/1.56", 3.2x, OIS) + 50MP ultrawide
Front camera: 50MP
Video: up to 8K at 30 fps
Battery: 8,500 mAh (Si-C), 100W wired, 50W wireless, 27W reverse charging
OS: Android 17, HyperOS 4
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, UWB, IR blaster, USB Type-C 3.2
Water and dust resistance: IP66, IP68, IP69
Dimensions and weight: 163.4 x 77.6 x 8.4 mm, from 235 g