Xiaomi 18 battery life rises 3% as flagship arrives

Xiaomi's upcoming flagship, the 18 series, promises a significant boost in battery life, albeit a modest one. The standard model is rumored to pack a 7,200mAh cell, a mere 200mAh increase over its predecessor, the 17.

3% Bump in battery capacity, but is it enough?

While every extra minute of battery life is appreciated, the incremental gain might not be enough for some users. To put this into perspective, the Samsung Galaxy S25 and S26, two of the best Android phones, feature batteries with capacities of 4,000mAh and 4,300mAh respectively, with little change from one generation to the next.

However, pairing the rumored 7,200mAh battery with an advanced and power-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 processor could result in a two-day phone, making the Xiaomi 18 a formidable contender in the battery life department.

The camera system is expected to be a major upgrade, with two 200MP sensors and a 3x periscope telephoto lens. This would mark the first time Xiaomi includes a periscope zoom on a regular flagship model.

Notably, the standard Xiaomi 18 will not feature a rear display, a technology exclusive to its Pro lineup thus far. The Pro variant, however, is rumored to boast an enormous 8,500mAh battery, outpacing most flagship smartphones in terms of capacity.

Xiaomi is expected to unveil the 18 series in September, which will likely pit it against Apple's iPhone 18 Pro lineup when they arrive. With its focus on efficient hardware and battery life, the Xiaomi 18 could carve out a niche in the competitive flagship market.