Phone news this week: Xiaomi 18 Pro launch, vivo X500, Find X10
The Xiaomi 18 Pro launch led a week of 2nm flagships from Xiaomi, vivo and OPPO, plus new Snapdragon chips and One UI 9 for the Galaxy S26 in the US.
The Xiaomi 18 Pro launch headlined one of the busiest weeks of the year for Android flagships. Xiaomi, vivo and OPPO all launched 2nm phones in China within three days, Qualcomm introduced the chips behind most of next year’s top Android phones, and Samsung’s delayed One UI 9 update started reaching Galaxy S26 owners in the US.
This week in 30 seconds
- Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are the first phones with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, with a global launch later this year.
- Qualcomm split its new flagship chip into two versions: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Elite Extreme Gen 6.
- vivo brings the X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max to Europe on October 27.
- OPPO Find X10 Pro Max has three 200MP cameras and is confirmed for Europe.
- One UI 9 is rolling out to Galaxy S26 phones in the US.
- Motorola Edge 70 Plus is on sale in the UK and Europe from £529.99.
Xiaomi 18 Pro launch: first phones with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6
Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max in China on September 23 and put both on sale the same evening. They are the first phones built on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 family. Both use dual 200MP Leica cameras and a hardware privacy display. The main difference is battery size: 7,000mAh in the 18 Pro and 8,500mAh in the Pro Max, both with 100W wired charging.
In China the 18 Pro starts at CNY 5,999 and the 18 Pro Max at CNY 6,999. Our preliminary PhoneRanked scores are 8.8 for the 18 Pro and 8.6 for the 18 Pro Max; they will become final once retail benchmarks for the new Snapdragon chips are available. See how the two compare in our Xiaomi 18 Pro vs 18 Pro Max comparison.
Availability: China now. Global launch later in 2026; no US launch announced.
Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Elite Extreme Gen 6
At its Snapdragon Summit in Maui on September 22, Qualcomm split its flagship platform into two 2nm chips for the first time: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and the higher-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. Qualcomm says CPU performance improves by 10% and 13% respectively over last year’s Gen 5.
The Extreme version adds 8K video at 60fps and 4K slow motion at 240fps, while the standard chip tops out at 8K 30fps. Qualcomm lists HONOR, iQOO, Motorola, OnePlus, OPPO, REDMI, RedMagic, vivo and Xiaomi among the first brands using the new platforms, so expect both chips in most Android flagships over the next year.
Motorola previews the Signature 27
Motorola used the Snapdragon Summit stage to preview the Signature 27, its second phone in the premium Signature line and one of the first with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. It pairs a 50MP Sony LYTIA 910 main camera with a 200MP periscope telephoto lens, adds B&O-tuned audio and promises seven years of OS updates.
Price, battery and display specs have not been announced yet.
Availability: Worldwide in 2026; US details due in November.
vivo X500 series goes on sale in China, Europe next in October
vivo launched the X500, X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max in China on September 21. The Pro models run MediaTek’s new 2nm Dimensity 9600 Pro. The X500 Pro Max is the first X-series Pro Max, pairing an 8,000mAh battery with a 200MP ZEISS periscope telephoto camera. The X500 and X500 Pro Max went on sale on September 24, starting at CNY 5,499 and CNY 6,999, and the X500 Pro followed on September 29.
Only the Pro and Pro Max appear in vivo’s European launch materials so far, so the standard X500 may stay in Asia.
Availability: China now; Europe launch event and pre-orders on October 27. Not sold in the US.
OPPO Find X10 series launches with three 200MP cameras on the Pro Max
OPPO unveiled three phones on September 22: the Find X10E, Find X10 and Find X10 Pro Max. There is no Find X10 Pro this year. The Find X10 Pro Max is the first phone with three 200MP rear cameras, all tuned with Hasselblad. It runs the 2nm Dimensity 9600 Pro and packs an 8,000mAh battery with 80W wired and 50W wireless charging. In China it starts at CNY 6,799.
The regular Find X10 uses two 200MP cameras, the Dimensity 9600M and an 8,000mAh battery. OPPO already lists the Find X10 Pro Max on its Danish website, which confirms a European release.
Availability: China now; Europe confirmed for the Pro Max, date not announced. Not sold in the US.
Xiaomi 18 Pro Max vs vivo X500 Pro Max vs OPPO Find X10 Pro Max
All three top models launched in China within three days. Here is how they compare on paper.
| Xiaomi 18 Pro Max | vivo X500 Pro Max | OPPO Find X10 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chip | Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 | Dimensity 9600 Pro | Dimensity 9600 Pro |
| Display | 6.9 inches | 6.85 inches, 2K | 6.78 inches |
| Rear cameras | Dual 200MP (main + periscope) | ZEISS main + 200MP periscope | Three 200MP (main, ultrawide, telephoto) |
| Battery | 8,500mAh | 8,000mAh | 8,000mAh |
| China price | From CNY 6,999 | From CNY 6,999 | From CNY 6,799 |
| Global launch | Later in 2026 | Europe, October 27 | Europe confirmed, date TBA |
One UI 9 reaches the Galaxy S26 in the US
Samsung started the stable One UI 9 rollout, based on Android 17, in South Korea on September 16. After a week of shifting dates, the update reached the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra on T-Mobile in the US on September 23.
By September 26 the same build had reached Metro by T-Mobile and US Cellular, with the September 2026 security patch included. Owners of unlocked phones, other carriers and older Galaxy flagships were still waiting for firm dates at the end of the week.
Availability: Rolling out in the US now; other regions expected in the coming weeks.
Motorola Edge 70 Plus goes on sale in the UK and Europe
The Motorola Edge 70 Plus, announced at IFA in early September, began shipping to buyers in the UK and Europe on September 23. The 8GB/256GB model costs £529.99 (€599.99). It combines a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, a 200MP main camera and a 6,500mAh battery.
Availability: On sale in the UK and Europe. No US launch announced.
What’s coming next
- October 1: Huawei Mate 90 series launches in China.
- October 15: REDMAGIC 12 Pro+ launches in China.
- October 23: iPhone Duo goes on sale.
- October 27: vivo X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max launch in Europe.
HONOR launched its Magic9 series in China on September 28. We will cover it in next week’s roundup.
