Xiaomi 18 Ultra May Be Dead, and Xiaomi Fans Won’t Like the Reason

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Xiaomi 18 Ultra May Be Dead, and Xiaomi Fans Won’t Like the Reason


Yeah, when we start to get used to the Xiaomi Ultra flagships, the brand comes and kicks the door. The Ultra variant has always had an inconsistent life. Still, when Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and repeated the move this year with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, I thought that the Ultra variants would finally stay. Well, apparently, I was totally wrong, and we won’t be seeing a Xiaomi 18 Ultra.

Xiaomi 18 Ultra Has Reportedly Been Scrapped

A new report states that the upcoming Xiaomi 18 series won’t be getting an Ultra variant. To be clear, we won’t see a Xiaomi 18 Ultra launching in the next year.
The info comes from tipster Karkiteky Singh on X. According to his claims, Xiaomi decided to scrap the Ultra model for its next flagship lineup. As a result, instead of the four-way lineup, we will be getting three flagships.
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Xiaomi 18 Pro

The family will be composed of three devices, namely Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 18 Pro, and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max.

We believe that the Pro Max will inherit some of the specs that would be expected in the Xiaomi 18 Ultra. Perhaps the “Pro Max” is the new “Ultra” nowadays.

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Apparently, this whole move is a strategic decision from Xiaomi. The company won’t be spending resources on four smartphones when it can sacrifice one for the sake of the three best-selling models. If you’re trying to guess the reason, the answer is quite simple in 2026: Soaring prices for DRAM and NAND.

There is still Hope for Ultra Fans

The good news is that Xiaomi won’t be killing this lineup forever. The report states we should see a Xiaomi 19 Ultra by late 2027 or early 2028. It would bring back the 200MP Quad-Camera system and all the fancy camera features seen in the Ultra variant.

Key Points

  • Xiaomi 18 Ultra is reportedly being scrapped, according to a tipster on X.
  • Xiaomi’s next flagship lineup could instead consist of the Xiaomi 18, 18 Pro, and 18 Pro Max.
  • The 18 Pro Max could inherit some of the hardware originally planned for the Ultra model.
  • Rising DRAM and NAND prices may have influenced Xiaomi’s decision to reduce the number of flagship models.
  • The Ultra series may return with the Xiaomi 19 Ultra in late 2027 or early 2028.
  • The future Ultra model is reportedly expected to bring back a 200MP quad-camera system and Xiaomi’s more advanced camera features.
  • Oppo and Vivo are also reportedly keeping their upcoming Ultra phones exclusive to China.
  • The information remains unofficial, so Xiaomi’s plans could still change.

Oppo and Vivo May Keep Their Ultra Flagships in China

Interestingly, Kartikey Singh also shared claims about Oppo and Vivo’s Ultra plans. According to the tipster, both brands are expected to keep the Oppo Find X10 Ultra and Vivo X300 Ultra exclusive to the Chinese market.

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That could leave Samsung in a rather interesting position. If Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo all limit their Ultra models in some way, the upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra could become the only major Ultra flagship broadly available to global customers.

Of course, there’s still a lot of uncertainty here. These are unofficial claims from a tipster, and Xiaomi’s plans could change before the Xiaomi 18 series launches. For now, Ultra fans may have to settle for the possibility that the 18 Pro Max will effectively become the Ultra in everything but name.