Xiaomi's dual-screen 18 Pro phones put 200MP Leica cameras on the table

Xiaomi will launch its 18 Pro and Pro Max globally in Paris on November 17, three weeks after their Chinese debut on September 24 — and both flagships carry 200MP main and telephoto cameras tuned with Leica.

The two phones share a core imaging stack. The main camera uses a 200MP Type 1/1.28 LOFIC sensor (a sensor technology that expands dynamic range by holding more charge per pixel) covering 74.4mm². The telephoto matches that resolution on a smaller Type 1/1.56 chip at 50mm². The ultrawide drops to a 50MP Type 1/2.88 sensor at 18.6mm². The Pro Max differentiates itself with larger front and rear displays and a faster processor.

DPReview's Abby Ferguson has spent early time with the pair and filed first impressions. Her verdict on the standout hardware? Not the sensors — the second screen.

Why a rear display matters for working shooters

The rear screen is small but legible, she reports, and useful for glanceable information when the phone sits face down. The professional payoff is bigger. "It will make filming myself for DPReview considerably easier, since I can record with the higher-quality rear camera, but still see what's in the frame," Ferguson writes.

It also carries fairly comprehensive camera controls, so settings can be adjusted without flipping to the main screen. For anyone producing self-shot video or vlogging with a phone as a B-camera, that closes a real workflow gap — front cameras still lag rear arrays in quality.

What about image quality and the Leica partnership?

Firm conclusions aren't on the table yet; she hasn't logged enough time. Early photos show "the typical smartphone look," she notes. The Leica contribution arrives as two tuned profiles, Vibrant and Authentic, plus a Leica Master Portrait mode. Co-branded processing is now table stakes in the flagship market, and measured results will have to wait for full review treatment.

One interface decision earns specific praise. The phones don't shoot at full resolution by default — standard practice for pixel-binned sensors — but the camera app places a dedicated shortcut to 200MP mode at the bottom of the screen. That saves digging through menus when a client job genuinely needs the extra resolution for cropping or print.

What does this change for photographers?

Not much yet, honestly. These are early impressions, not review conclusions, and pricing outside China remains unannounced ahead of the Paris event. The relevant facts for gear budgeting: 200MP capture on both main and telephoto focal lengths, LOFIC sensor tech in the main module, and a rear display that solves the self-recording framing problem.

The iPhone comparisons write themselves — the Pro Max name, the maroon finish — but the rear display is the one spec Apple doesn't answer. Whether Leica's tuning and the sensor hardware deliver beyond typical smartphone output is the question the full review, and the November 17 launch pricing, will settle.