Xiaomi has used the last day before launch to post the camera hardware of the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max on Weibo, along with a set of sample photos taken on the main and telephoto cameras. The phones go on stage in China on 23 September at 7 pm local time, and this time the figures have come from Xiaomi itself, whereas most of what was known a week ago had been leaked by tipsters.
What Cameras Both Phones Will Get
Both models will be carrying the same pair of 200MP Leica cameras on the back, which Xiaomi has broken down like this:
- The main camera uses a 200MP sensor measuring 1/1.28 inches.
- The periscope telephoto uses a 200MP sensor measuring 1/1.56 inches, with an f/2.4 aperture.
- Zoom has been set at 3.2x optical, which works out to a 75mm focal length.
- The telephoto can focus from as close as 12cm, so it will double as a macro camera.
Anyone picking the smaller 18 Pro will not be settling for a weaker camera, because Xiaomi has given both models identical sensors.
How Much More Light The Zoom Camera Takes In
Light intake has been Xiaomi’s headline claim. The telephoto on the 18 Pro is said to take in 280% more light than the one on the 17 Pro, while the 18 Pro Max gets 83% more than the 17 Pro Max. Since the two new phones share one telephoto, both percentages can only be true if last year’s Pro Max had been taking in roughly twice the light of last year’s Pro (3.8 times against 1.83 times, counting from the new camera), which says as much about how far the 17 Pro had been held back as it does about the new sensor.
No one outside Xiaomi has checked either figure, and Xiaomi also chose the sample photos. Until reviewers get the phones in hand, the percentages and the samples should be read as the company’s own marketing.
What Else Arrives With The Phones
Xiaomi has also confirmed an upgraded rear display, a privacy display built into the hardware and bigger batteries than last year, with 7,000mAh going into the Pro and 8,500mAh into the Pro Max. The chip has not been named yet, although the launch falls in the middle of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro is widely expected. Prices will be announced at the event, and because the Pro Max has already cleared certification for markets outside China, a global release should be following later.
