A trusted Chinese tipster on Weibo has leaked groundbreaking details about Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship lineup, the Xiaomi 16 series, which is set to debut later this year with Qualcomm’s next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 chipset. According to posts shared on Weibo and another follow-up thread, the series will include the Xiaomi 16, 16 Pro, and 16 Ultra, all designed to push boundaries in performance, photography, and design.
Performance Leap with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2
The star of the show is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, built on a cutting-edge 3nm process. Early benchmarks suggest a 25% boost in CPU efficiency and a 40% GPU performance jump over its predecessor, making it a powerhouse for gaming and AI-driven tasks. Xiaomi is reportedly optimizing its HyperOS software to leverage the chip’s capabilities, promising smoother multitasking and enhanced thermal management for sustained peak performance.
Radical Design Overhaul
Breaking from Xiaomi’s recent minimalist aesthetic, the Pro and Ultra models will adopt a bold new design language. As highlighted in a recent design analysis, the Xiaomi 16 Pro features a curved ceramic back with a staggered camera module, while the Ultra model sports a titanium frame and a secondary display for notifications. Both models are expected to debut in vibrant colorways, including a “Solar Flare” orange finish.
Camera System: A New Era for Mobile Photography
The tipster claims the Xiaomi 16 Ultra will house a quad-camera setup co-engineered with Leica, headlined by a 1-inch 50MP main sensor with a variable f/1.4–f/4.0 aperture. A periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and a 200MP ultra-wide sensor round out the package. Meanwhile, the Pro model will focus on computational photography, introducing real-time HDR10+ video recording powered by the Snapdragon chip’s upgraded ISP. For full specs, AITech’s report dives deeper into the camera advancements.
Battery and Display Upgrades
The Xiaomi 16 series is rumored to pack 5,500mAh batteries with 120W wired and 80W wireless charging. The Pro and Ultra models will reportedly feature LTPO 4.0 AMOLED displays with a 144Hz refresh rate and 3,000-nit peak brightness, ideal for outdoor visibility.
Pricing and Availability
While Xiaomi has yet to confirm launch dates, insider sources hint at an October 2025 release. Pre-orders may bundle next-gen accessories, including a redesigned Xiaomi Smart Band 9, spotted recently on Amazon listings. Pricing for the base Xiaomi 16 is expected to start at 799,withtheUltramodelreaching799,withtheUltramodelreaching1,299.
The Bottom Line
With the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 at its core and daring design choices, the Xiaomi 16 series aims to challenge Samsung and Apple’s dominance in the premium segment. If these leaks hold, Xiaomi could redefine expectations for Android flagships in 2025.
Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the official launch.
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