Why did Xiaomi cancel the 18 Ultra? It was meant to be a photography powerhouse with up to three 200MP cameras

In August, we wrote that Xiaomi 18 Ultra is reportedly being cancelled. Now it’s being confirmed again by the Chinese insider Digital Chat Station, one of the most reliable sources about Xiaomi. What’s more, they also revealed what Xiaomi 18 Ultra was supposed to offer and how much it was expected to cost. According to them, it was meant to be among the best-equipped camera phones—yet also among the most expensive.

Three 200MP cameras and a magnetic lens

The main draw was supposed to be the cameras. Xiaomi 18 Ultra was to get three, each with a resolution of 200MP. The main sensor was expected to measure 1/1.12 inches and use the LOFIC technology, which helps capture both bright and dark parts of a scene at the same time. The periscope was to get a 1/1.28-inch sensor as well, also with LOFIC, plus a continuous optical zoom. For the ultra-wide camera, it was expected to be a 1/1.56-inch sensor.

We already broke down the periscope with continuous zoom and a 1/1,28-inch sensor back in March. It was the very first leak about Xiaomi 18 Ultra. The cameras were also supposed to get a multispectral sensor for more accurate colors, plus a magnetic external lens that would attach to the back of the phone.

The rest of the specs were also expected to match a flagship. The display was supposed to be completely flat, with bezels of around 1mm on all four sides. Performance was meant to be handled by a flagship chip expected to score over 5 million points in benchmarks. However, the leaker didn’t say which chip or which exact test. There also had to be a big vibration motor 0916 and symmetrical stereo speakers.

Xiaomi 18 Ultra would have cost 9 999 yuan for 256 GB

The price is what explains why Xiaomi cancelled the phone. The version with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage was set to cost 9,999 yuan, or 1,350 EUR after conversion. Digital Chat Station asked whether people would pay that much for the phone. Then they immediately added that Xiaomi has already cancelled it. The company reportedly concluded that the price was too high and the phone wouldn’t sell.

Compared to the predecessor, that would have been a major jump. GSMArena notes that Xiaomi 17 Ultra cost about 7,000 yuan in China with double the storage at 512GB. Even the Leica edition with 16GB of RAM didn’t cost more than 8,000 yuan. With half the storage, the Ultra would have been about 3,000 yuan more expensive.

Note: 9 999 yuan is the price of the Chinese version. If you order it directly from China, add 23 % VAT on top of the converted amount. Customs duty isn’t charged on phones in the EU, so you’d end up paying roughly 1 640 EUR. The European version would be even more expensive. This is shown by last year’s model: Xiaomi 17 Ultra cost 7 499 yuan in China for the 16 + 512GB version, and by the end of February Xiaomi introduced it in Europe for 1 499 EUR. For the 16 + 1TB version, Xiaomi asked for 8 499 yuan in China and 1 649 EUR here.

One euro on the European price tags roughly equaled about five yuan in China. With the same ratio, the European Xiaomi 18 Ultra with 256 GB would cost around €2,000. And it’s also not certain that the 256 GB version will even make it to Europe. Here, Xiaomi 17 Ultra was sold only starting from 512 GB.

It looks similar when comparing this year’s models. Xiaomi 18 Pro Max costs in China from 6,999 yuan for the same configuration of 12 + 256 GB. For 9,999 yuan, Xiaomi sells up to the top 18 Pro Max version with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage. So the Ultra with 256 GB would cost the same as the Pro Max with 1 TB.

The highlight of the lineup is still 18 Pro Max, while the Ultra will return later

August reports pointed to the cancellation of expensive memory modules whose prices surged during the year. A new leak also brings the exact figure. According to the website Gizmochina, the Ultra line will return with the model Xiaomi 19 Ultra in late 2027 or early 2028. At that time, component prices should be more stable.

Just a reminder that Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max will also be sold outside of China, even though last year’s 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max never left China. Without the Ultra, at least the top model in the series will reach Europe. However, its global version should get a smaller battery than the Chinese one.

The original post from Digital Chat Station is apparently no longer available, according to GSMArena. So it’s unclear whether the leaker is still standing behind the information. Xiaomi itself has not officially confirmed the Ultra cancellation. We don’t yet know the prices of competing vivo X500 Ultra and OPPO Find X10 Ultra. If they move close to 10 000 yuan, those kinds of prices for camera phones will be pretty common.

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