New reports from China suggest Xiaomi is planning a major upgrade for its next entry-level flagship. If early leaks are accurate, the company intends to bring advanced periscope zoom lenses to the entire Xiaomi 18 lineup, removing one of the biggest differences between its standard and “Pro” models.
Bringing big zoom to the base model
According to insights from Digital Chat Station, a well-known industry source, the upcoming series will feature periscope telephoto lenses across the board. This is a significant shift in strategy.
Currently, if you buy the standard Xiaomi 17, you are stuck with a conventional portrait lens. To get the superior long-range zoom of a periscope system, you have to spend more on the Pro, Pro Max, or Ultra versions. This leak implies that next year, buying the cheapest model won’t mean sacrificing camera reach.
Standardizing premium features
Beyond the camera, the leak indicates that Xiaomi will maintain a high standard for build quality across all devices. Features like ultrasonic fingerprint sensors, high-speed wireless charging, and full IP68 water resistance are expected to remain standard on every model.
While these features are already present on the current generation, their confirmation suggests Xiaomi isn’t planning to strip features to cut costs. The goal appears to be raising the baseline quality rather than creating artificial limits for the cheaper phones.
A massive battery rumor for the current lineup
Before the Xiaomi 18 arrives, the current generation might get one final, supersized addition. Reports are circulating about a potential “Xiaomi 17 Max,” a device rumored to pack an enormous 8,000mAh battery. It is expected to run on the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip as the rest of the family, targeting users who need extreme battery life above all else.
Market Impact & Context
Putting a periscope lens on a base model is a rare move. Competitors like Samsung and Apple typically reserve their best zoom hardware for their most expensive “Ultra” or “Pro Max” phones to justify the higher price tags.
If Xiaomi standardizes this feature, it forces the competition to respond. It blurs the line between entry-level flagships and top-tier devices, potentially making the base model the best value option in the entire market.
Conclusion
The Xiaomi 18 series is still likely a year away, so plans could change. However, the move toward unified camera hardware signals that the era of weak zoom on standard flagship phones might finally be ending.
