Xiaomi’s new 18 Pro phones improve on Samsung’s privacy display

Xiaomi has launched its 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max smartphones in China, featuring advanced hardware-level privacy display technology. The devices include improved privacy triggers and high-end camera specifications, with a global release planned.
Why it matters
The integration of hardware-level privacy features reflects a growing consumer demand for data security and visual privacy in mobile technology.
Xiaomi’s new 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max launched in China today, and feature a more flexible take on the privacy display tech introduced this year on Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra. They combine it with returning rear screens, two 200-megapixel cameras, and both of Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips. A global launch is confirmed for later this year — especially welcome since last year’s 17 Pro phones skipped international markets.
The two 18 Pro phones look similar to the 17 Pros, with similar compact displays built around the rear cameras, capable of displaying notifications, taking selfies, playing simple games, and more.
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