Xiaomi has reportedly canceled the Xiaomi 18 Ultra, and the 'Ultra' branding might disappear from several Chinese flagships next year.
Tipster Kartikey Singh on X claims Xiaomi decided to scrap the Ultra model for its next flagship series.
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Instead of the usual four-phone lineup with a camera-focused Ultra at the top, we may only see the Xiaomi 18, Xiaomi 18 Pro, and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max.
Previous reports point to soaring memory chip prices as the main reason.
DRAM and NAND costs have climbed sharply in 2026 due to AI demand, making Ultra-tier hardware like a 200MP quad-camera system too expensive for most buyers.
The Ultra isn't gone forever, though.
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Xiaomi is expected to bring it back with the Xiaomi 19 Ultra in late 2027 or early 2028, once component costs settle.
Until then, the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max is tipped to be the top-of-the-line model.
Oppo and Vivo may limit Ultra models to China
Xiaomi isn't alone in this shift.
Rising memory costs have reportedly made Oppo and Vivo rethink their next-generation Ultra phones as well.
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Their current Ultra models, the Oppo Find X9 Ultra and Vivo X300 Ultra, reached global markets this year.
But according to Singh, their successors, the Oppo Find X10 Ultra and Vivo X500 Ultra, might stay limited to China when they launch in the first half of 2027.
Neither company has confirmed that yet, so treat it as an early claim.
If that happens, Samsung's Galaxy S27 Ultra would be the only true Ultra-branded flagship available outside China.
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Everyone else would compete with their Pro Max models in the flagship segment.
