The price of the Xiaomi 18 Pro continues to rise, with the top-of-the-line version breaking the 10,000 yuan mark.

The price of domestically produced flagship candybar phones is further approaching the 10,000 yuan range.

On the evening of September 23, Xiaomi officially released the Xiaomi 18 Pro series.

The Xiaomi 18 Pro starts at 5999 yuan, and the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max starts at 6999 yuan. With the increase in storage capacity, the prices of the two phones have gone up: the Xiaomi 18 Pro 16GB+1TB version is priced at 8999 yuan, and the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max 16GB+1TB version reaches 9999 yuan.

Xiaomi also launched transparent special editions for two models. The Xiaomi 18 Pro Transparent Special Edition (16GB+1TB) is priced at 9,999 yuan, while the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max Transparent Special Edition (16GB+1TB) is priced at 10,999 yuan, bringing the price of Xiaomi's number series phones below 10,000 yuan.

Behind the price increase, Xiaomi is also continuing to upgrade the configuration of its number series products. The Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are equipped with the sixth-generation Snapdragon 8 Ultra and the sixth-generation Snapdragon 8 Super Ultra respectively, both using a 2nm process; all models feature a hardware-level privacy screen, an AI-powered customizable back screen, and further upgraded Leica imaging. The Pro Max also features an 8500mAh battery and a dual 200MP main camera and telephoto lens combination.

Lu Weibing called this generation of products "the biggest upgrade in the history of Xiaomi's digital series" and said that the Xiaomi 18 Pro series is "the beginning of Xiaomi's comprehensive transformation of smartphones with AI".

In addition to smartphones, Xiaomi also launched several new home appliances that day, including televisions, range hoods, smart door locks, washing machines, and coffee machines. Similar to smartphones, AI has become a key focus of this round of home appliance upgrades. These include televisions using millimeter-wave radar to identify viewing positions and adjust the image accordingly, range hoods using visual models to detect changes in cooking fumes, and smart door locks incorporating multimodal model capabilities to recognize different visitors and home scenarios.

From a product strategy perspective, Xiaomi is extending its AI capabilities from smartphones to the entire ecosystem of "people, cars, and homes." Previously, in September, Xiaomi also released a series of new cars and foldable screen products, making smartphones, automobiles, and home appliances the main themes of its current product cycle.

From the price range of traditional domestic flagship phones priced around 1,000 yuan to the current top-of-the-line models reaching over 10,000 yuan, Xiaomi's digital series is further testing the price ceiling of domestic candybar flagship phones. Whether this can gain market recognition is attracting attention.

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