Xiaomi may have pulled the plug on its planned Xiaomi 18 Ultra after the smartphone’s proposed price crossed a level beyond the company’s budget. According to tipster Digital Chat Station, the phone was being considered with a 12GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration priced at CNY 9,999. That converts to roughly USD 1,490 or around Rs. 1.4 lakh before taxes and other market-specific costs. Xiaomi has not officially confirmed either the cancellation or the reported price.
The biggest attraction of the cancelled smartphone was expected to be its camera system. The leak claims Xiaomi was developing three 200MP rear cameras, making the device one of the company's most ambitious imaging projects.
The primary camera was designed with a 1/1.12-inch LOFIC sensor. The ultra-wide camera was expected to use a 1/1.56-inch 200MP sensor, while the periscope telephoto could feature a larger 1/1.28-inch 200MP sensor with LOFIC technology.
The periscope camera was also tipped to support continuous optical zoom. Unlike fixed optical zoom systems, this technology can potentially provide optical magnification across a range rather than relying on predetermined focal lengths.
The proposed CNY 9,999 price appears to be the key issue behind the reported cancellation. Digital Chat Station reportedly said Xiaomi believed sales would not be sustainable at that level.
The reported pricing would have placed the phone significantly above its predecessor. Xiaomi's own investor materials list the Xiaomi 17 Ultra's Chinese starting price at RMB 6,999.
The timing also comes as component costs put pressure on smartphone makers. Earlier reports linked rising memory prices with decisions around premium Android Ultra models, including Xiaomi's reported plans. The phone was planned with a flat display featuring around 1mm bezels, a flagship Snapdragon processor, and benchmark performance above five million points.
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