This Might Be Our First Look at Xiaomi 16 Display

Qualcomm is about to show off its next powerhouse chip later this month, which might be called Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. As usual, Xiaomi is expected to drop its new flagships soon after this release. The devices are the Xiaomi 16, Xiaomi 16 Pro, and the bigger Xiaomi 16 Pro Max. Yes, Xiaomi is going full Apple this year, even in the naming. All three smartphones will be running on Qualcomm’s latest silicon. A new leak emerged today showing Xiaomi's next flagship - a device under the Xiaomi 16 series.

The leaked image comes from reputed leakster Ice Universe. It gives us a full-frontal shot of one of these models. The source didn’t say which one it is, but the HyperOS 3 wallpaper on the screen makes it clear it’s from the new lineup. These devices are likely the first to come pre-loaded with Xiaomi's HyperOS 3.

The phone looks sleek and modern with super-thin, perfectly even bezels. In fact, the leak claims these will be the narrowest symmetrical bezels ever seen on a phone. Obviously, we've heard this multiple times, and only time will tell if that's accurate. The Xiaomi 16 series device will also come with corners that are more curved than usual. They will be rounder than what Apple is doing with the iPhone 17 Pro. It's a Bold claim, but the picture backs it up.

If you’re confused about the naming, here’s how it goes. The Xiaomi 16 and 16 Pro are the same size, but the Pro gets higher-end specs. This is a shift from a previous strategy, in which the Xiaomi 16 and 16 Pro had different display sizes. Now, we are seeing something closer to what Apple does with the vanilla iPhone and the iPhone Pro. In Xiaomi's 16 series, the Pro Max is basically a bigger version of the Pro. It will give users more screen real estate without losing the flagship power.

Once again, this setup mirrors what we’ve already seen from Apple and Google, and Xiaomi seems ready to jump into the same strategy. To be honest, this strategy could end up being a good choice for Xiaomi. The Xiaomi 16 will likely be a more affordable entry in the series. The Pro will be for those who want the vanilla's form factor with higher-end specifications. Finally, the Pro Max is the one for hardware enthusiasts. It certainly gets the bigger display and the bigger battery.

However, it is worth noting that regardless of their sizes, we expect all three smartphones to come with great battery backup. Thanks to the use of Si-C batteries, Xiaomi is leaving the 5000mAh limit behind.

With Qualcomm’s announcement only days away and Xiaomi’s launch rumored to follow quickly, we won’t have to wait long to get the full picture. If this leak is anything to go by, the Xiaomi 16 series could deliver one of the cleanest designs we’ve seen on a flagship yet.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will launch on September 23. That's when we expect Xiaomi to disclose, at the very least, the launch date for its next flagship lineup.