Xiaomi recently introduced its new Xiaomi 18 Pro series in China, with the lineup consisting of the Xiaomi 18 Pro and the larger Xiaomi 18 Pro Max. Both are to launch globally later this year, though Xiaomi hasn’t confirmed an exact date or specific markets.

There’s plenty of flagship hardware packed inside the two phones. The Xiaomi 18 Pro features a 6.36-inch 144Hz LTPO AMOLED display, while the Pro Max increases the screen size to 6.9 inches. Both also have a secondary 2.7-inch LTPO display on the back. Depending on the model, buyers get Qualcomm’s new 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 or Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, alongside configurations offering up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

The camera setup is equally ambitious, consisting of a 200MP main camera, a 200MP 3.2x periscope camera, and a 50MP ultrawide, along with a 50MP selfie camera. Battery capacities reach 7,000mAh on the Pro and a massive 8,500mAh on the Pro Max, with both supporting 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.

However, there’s one area where the new Xiaomi 18 Pro may actually be a step backward compared to last year’s Xiaomi 17 Ultra: its display.

Xiaomi 18 Pro privacy display means worse brightness, even when it’s off

As shared by well-known leaker Ice Universe, the Xiaomi 18 Pro’s OLED panel looks noticeably dimmer than the Xiaomi 17 Ultra when the two phones are compared side by side. The difference reportedly isn’t limited to brightness either, as image quality and visibility when looking at the screen from an angle also appear worse on the newer phone.

The likely reason is the Xiaomi 18 Pro’s new hardware-level privacy display technology. The feature is designed to make it more difficult for someone beside you to see what’s displayed on your phone, which could be useful when viewing private messages or other sensitive information in public.

However, implementing privacy technology directly at the display level comes with compromises. In this case, it appears to affect brightness, optical clarity, and viewing angles. More importantly, Ice Universe claims these differences remain noticeable even when the privacy feature itself is switched off, as the underlying display hardware doesn’t change.

Ice Universe went as far as calling the implementation an “undeniable display downgrade” compared to the previous generation, arguing that Xiaomi may have sacrificed too much display quality for the privacy functionality.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.