Xiaomi isn’t done releasing new phones this year. A device carrying the model number M261DB passed wireless certification with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on September 23, according to a report from XimiTime — and it’s believed to be the standard, non-Pro Xiaomi 18.
The certification date lines up almost exactly with the Xiaomi 18 Pro series launch, which happened the same day. That’s not a coincidence Xiaomi left up to speculation, either: Group President Lu Weibing confirmed directly on Weibo, ahead of the Pro launch event, that the standard Xiaomi 18 would arrive separately, later on.
Following the Same Playbook as the iPhone
This staggered release pattern — flagship Pro models first, standard model months later — mirrors a strategy Apple has used with iPhone releases, and it’s one Xiaomi has reportedly been moving toward deliberately. Rather than launching the entire lineup in one event, Xiaomi appears to be treating the Pro series as the headline act and holding the standard model back as a second wave, expected to land in December.
That gap serves a couple of purposes. It keeps Xiaomi in the news cycle for longer instead of front-loading all its flagship attention into a single week, and it gives the company more runway to fine-tune the standard model’s specs and pricing after seeing how the market reacts to the Pro series.
What to Expect From the Standard Model
Nothing about the Xiaomi 18’s specs is official yet, but the rumor mill points to a phone that shares most of its DNA with the Pro series rather than feeling like a clear step down. Early leaks suggest it’ll run the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chip, carry a 200MP main camera, and pack a 7,200mAh battery — which, notably, would actually be larger than the 7,000mAh cell in the standard Xiaomi 18 Pro that just launched.
For context, here’s what’s already confirmed on the Pro side: the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max runs the higher-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Extreme chip, built on a 2nm process, alongside a Leica-tuned triple-camera system covering the full focal range. The 18 Pro’s 6.4-inch display uses Xiaomi’s new M11 panel, capable of 4,000 nits peak brightness, and includes the hardware-level privacy display Xiaomi introduced this generation.
If the leaked specs hold up, the standard Xiaomi 18 would land as a genuinely close sibling to the Pro rather than a budget-flavored alternative — bigger battery, same chip, same core camera sensor. What it’s likely to lose is the fancier display tech and possibly the privacy screen, though none of that has been confirmed either way.
Worth Treating as Early-Stage
It’s worth being upfront about how early this still is. A certification filing confirms a new model exists and is close to ready for market — it doesn’t confirm specs, pricing, or an exact release date. Everything beyond “a Xiaomi 18 variant passed certification around Pro launch day” is currently leak-sourced and should be read that way until Xiaomi says otherwise.
Given the pattern Xiaomi set with the Pro series’ rapid rollout, a December unveiling for the standard model feels plausible, but nothing here is locked in stone yet.
Source: XimiTime.
Also Read:
Xiaomi Confirms Global Xiaomi 18 Pro Launch Date: Before November Ends
Global Xiaomi 18 Pro Buyers Are Getting a Smaller Battery — Here’s Why
Xiaomi 18 Pro Series Is Official — Here’s Every Spec, Color, and Price
Xiaomi’s New Flagship Screen Hits 4000 Nits — And a Price Hike Might Be Coming Too
