Xiaomi 18 Ultra unlikely to be released despite powerful specifications

The Chinese technology brand Xiaomi is reportedly not planning to release an Ultra model for the Xiaomi 18 series due to high costs resulting from advanced specifications and increasing memory prices.

This leak comes from technology leaker Digital Chat Station, as reported by GSM Arena on Monday (5/10) local time. According to Digital Chat Station, a unit with a 12GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration alone could reach a price of 10,000 Yuan, equivalent to approximately Rp26 million. For a base memory option, such a cost is considered very high, and Xiaomi believes that an excessively expensive price point will not generate sufficient sales.

Even when compared to the special Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition, which features 16GB of RAM and 512GB of ROM offered at 8,000 Yuan (approximately Rp21 million), the price of the Xiaomi 18 Ultra still shows a significant difference.

Digital Chat Station further revealed several specifications that might be available if the Xiaomi 18 Ultra were to be launched, including a 200MP 1/1.12-inch LOFIC main camera, a 200MP 1/1.28-inch LOFIC periscope camera with continuous zoom lenses, and a 200MP 1/1.56-inch ultra-wide camera.

The phone is also expected to feature other attractive elements, such as a high-end chipset, a flat display with 1mm bezels, and symmetrical stereo speakers. While these specifications look impressive on paper, there is no certainty yet that Xiaomi’s Ultra model for the 18 series will be released.

Nevertheless, if Xiaomi truly decides not to release the Ultra version, this would align with the company’s announcement regarding bringing the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max versions to the global market. This decision may be linked to the potential omission of the Ultra version.

In the Xiaomi 17 series, the Pro and Pro Max models were intentionally withheld from the global market and remained exclusive to the Chinese market. With this new marketing strategy, it is possible that Xiaomi may eliminate its Ultra model this year.