Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max global release date and European prices

Xiaomi has officially confirmed the upcoming international launch of its flagship smartphones, the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max. The devices will debut outside of China before the end of the current month. This is a significant release given that last year's Xiaomi 17 Pro remained exclusive to the Chinese domestic market. Exact release dates and the final list of countries remain undisclosed.

• The international release of the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max flagships is scheduled before the end of the month.
• Global versions feature smaller batteries: reduced from 7000 to 6000 mAh for the Pro and from 8500 to 7050 mAh for the Pro Max.
• European prices start at 1398.90 euros, which is nearly double the price in the Chinese market.
• Hardware specs retain top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite chips, Leica cameras, and rear AMOLED displays.

Technical compromises in global models

Buyers outside of China will have to accept certain technical compromises in the new smartphones. The main downgrade affects the batteries: the capacity in the Pro model has been reduced from 7000 to 6000 mAh (a 14% drop), while the Pro Max version saw its battery capacity drop from 8500 to 7050 mAh (a 17% reduction).

Additionally, the wired charging speed for the standard Pro model decreased from 100W to 90W, whereas the higher-end device maintains 100W charging support. Wireless charging remains unchanged at 50W for both smartphones. Otherwise, the internal hardware of the European modifications is completely identical to the Chinese versions.

Performance and flagship features

Performance in the global variants is powered by advanced 2nm chipsets from Qualcomm. The Pro model features the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, while the top-tier Pro Max is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. The devices operate on the HyperOS 4 system.

The smartphones come with advanced Leica cameras featuring dual 200-megapixel sensors. They also retained their signature feature — a secondary AMOLED screen on the rear panel measuring 2.7 inches for the Pro and 2.9 inches for the Pro Max model, used for notifications and quick controls.

European pricing and market outlook

Another controversial aspect is the pricing strategy for the international market. According to European retail data, the base Xiaomi 18 Pro with 256GB of storage will cost 1398.90 euros, while the 512GB version is priced at 1591.90 euros. The top-tier Xiaomi 18 Pro Max will cost 1783.90 euros.

By comparison, these models cost significantly less in China, starting at 5999 yuan (approx. 780 euros) and 6999 yuan (approx. 910 euros) respectively, making European prices nearly twice as high. Official sales will cover the EU, Middle East, and the Americas, though a US release remains questionable.