A new claim has come to the fore regarding the Xiaomi 18 series, which Xiaomi is expected to introduce towards the end of 2026. It is stated that Xiaomi 18 Ultra, which was previously suggested to be announced in December, has been removed from the company’s product plan. According to Kartikey Singh, known for his posts on X, Xiaomi will offer only three smartphones under the 18 series. At the top of the series, Xiaomi 18 Pro Max will be located instead of the Ultra model. However, the information in question has not been confirmed by Xiaomi yet.
Kartikey Singh’s claim does not mean that Xiaomi will completely terminate the Ultra series. It is stated that the company may release the model, which is a direct sequel to Xiaomi 17 Ultra, to 2027. It is claimed that the increasing costs of memory and storage components may be behind such a decision. The use of high-capacity RAM and storage, as well as advanced camera hardware, in high-end phones can increase production costs even further. Therefore, it is possible that Xiaomi chose to keep its 2026 product range more limited.
Xiaomi 18 Pro Max may be the top model of the series
If the leak turns out to be true, Xiaomi 18 Pro Max will be the most advanced member of the company’s flagship family at the end of 2026. It is not yet known how Xiaomi will position the “Pro Max” naming and how much of the camera-focused features seen in the Ultra models of this phone will inherit. Ultra models are not only phones with higher technical specifications for Xiaomi, but they differ from other members of the series, especially in terms of the camera system. Therefore, it is not possible to say whether the 18 Pro Max will directly replace the Ultra or not just by looking at the naming. Until Xiaomi’s official launch, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the information about the number of models and technical specifications of the devices.
The same source also shared remarkable information about other Android flagships expected to be released in 2027. Accordingly, Vivo and Oppo may keep their upcoming Ultra phones exclusive to the Chinese market. Allegedly, there is a possibility that Vivo X500 Ultra and Oppo Find X10 Ultra will not go on sale in countries outside of China. Such a decision would differ from the distribution policy followed by the two brands in the current generation. In this case, product options may become more limited, especially for users in global markets who want to access Android phones with the most advanced camera hardware.
The possible change on the Vivo side attracts particular attention. While the company had kept its Ultra models mainly in China in the past, it changed this approach with the Vivo X300 Ultra and brought the phone to various international markets. Similarly, Oppo Find X9 Ultra was also opened to markets outside China. Despite this, the new claim indicates that both manufacturers may switch to a China-focused distribution scheme again in the next Ultra generation. Production costs, regional demand and increasing sales prices in the upper segment are among the factors that may affect manufacturers’ decisions about which models to bring to international markets.
For now, all information about Xiaomi 18 Ultra, Vivo X500 Ultra and Oppo Find X10 Ultra is based on leaks. Moreover, since there is still a long time until the official announcements of the phones in question, it is possible for manufacturers to make changes in their product and distribution plans. If Xiaomi 18 Ultra is really removed from the 2026 program, the most striking point will be which hardware Xiaomi 18 Pro Max will fill this gap with. On the vivo and Oppo front, selling Ultra models only in China again may reduce the options of international users, especially those who prefer Android phones with the highest camera capabilities. Therefore, current claims should be considered as early information about the upcoming flagship models, rather than the final plans of the manufacturers.
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