Xiaomi 18 Leaks: Periscope Zoom, Ultrasonic Sensors, and the A20 Rival

Tuesday, 20 January 2026 at 10:11

I’ve long argued that Xiaomi’s "standard" flagships feel like they’re living in the shadow of their Pro and Ultra siblings. While the Pro gets the "Magic Back Screen" and the Ultra gets the experimental glass, the base model usually settles for "good enough." But if the latest word from Digital Chat Station is to be believed—and in January 2026, it’s basically the only word that matters—the Xiaomi 18 might finally close that gap.

The headline here is the periscope telephoto lens.

If you’ve used the Xiaomi 17, you know the 2.6x zoom is fine for a portrait, but it falls apart the second you try to capture something across a street. Moving to a 5x optical periscope on the base model is a massive shift. Honestly, it’s about time. Samsung and Apple have been gatekeeping their best zoom tech for years, and Xiaomi standardizing it across the entire 18 series is exactly the kind of move that forces the rest of the industry to wake up.

Key Points

Standard Periscope Lens: The base Xiaomi 18 is rumored to jump to a 5x optical zoom camera.
Feature Standardization: 3D ultrasonic sensors and wireless charging will be standard across the 18 series.
The "Magic" Back Screen: Xiaomi confirms the rear display won't be canceled and may see an AI-driven evolution.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6: The series will likely be among the first to feature Qualcomm’s 2nm chipset.
October Launch: While the 17 is still rolling out globally, the 18 is slated for a late 2026 debut in China.

The "All-In" Feature Set

It’s not just the camera, though. The leak suggests we’re looking at a "standardization" of flagship tech. This includes:

3D Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensors: No more blinding optical lights at 2 AM.
High-Level Waterproofing: Likely hitting that IP69 rating we're seeing on other 2026 leaks.
The "Magic" Back Screen: Despite rumors that it was a one-off gimmick for the 17 Pro, Xiaomi executives are already hinting that the rear display is here to stay and might even trickle down to the standard 18.

Personally, I’m split on the back screen. It’s a cool party trick, and Xiaomi reportedly dumped over a billion yuan into its R&D, so they’re clearly committed. But I can't help but wonder: does that extra screen eat up space that could have gone toward a bigger battery? I guess we’ll find out in October.

Powering the Beast

Under the hood, it’s almost a certainty we’ll see the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. Rumors are already swirling that this chip is built on a 2nm process, which should—in theory—make it a thermal dream.

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I’m cautiously optimistic. Early leaks this far out (we’re still about nine months from a launch) should always be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism. Plans change, supply chains break, and sometimes features get axed at the last minute. But for now, it looks like Xiaomi is tired of playing second fiddle to the "Ultra" hype and is finally giving the standard 18 the hardware it needs to actually compete.