Xiaomi 18 Ultra May Be Cancelled: Europe Loses Camera Flagship
2026 will be a challenging year for smartphone manufacturers. The annual release cycle and severe memory chip shortages mean new models will likely become significantly more expensive. In Europe, however, the problem lies elsewhere: the camera flagship is in danger of disappearing entirely. Xiaomi is reportedly discontinuing the 18 Ultra, and Oppo and Vivo may reserve their Ultra models for the Chinese market.
Smartphone manufacturers are resorting to increasingly drastic measures to cope with the shortage of memory chips. Initially, they absorbed the higher procurement costs themselves, but now we’re seeing other solutions emerge. These include discontinuing entry-level models with limited memory or simply raising the suggested retail price. Still others are scrapping an entire model, as Xiaomi may now be doing.
Because, according to tipster Kartikey Singh, the Xiaomi 18 Ultra will no longer be released. The line-up would therefore consist only of the Xiaomi 18, 18 Pro, and the 18 Pro Max, with the latter as the new top model. An Ultra would not return until the Xiaomi 19, in late 2027 or early 2028. Xiaomi itself has not confirmed anything, and this information comes from a single source for now, so some caution is warranted.
This is particularly disappointing for Europe, since the Ultra was no longer an exception here. Since the Xiaomi 14 Ultra in 2024, the camera flagship has been coming to Europe as usual, and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra hit stores here in late February starting at €1,499. That trend is now coming to an end.
Oppo and Vivo Also Keep Ultra Models in China
And Xiaomi is not alone. The Oppo Find X10 Ultra and Vivo X500 Ultra are rumoured to be released only in China, just as was standard practise in the past. Their predecessors, the Find X9 Ultra and the X300 Ultra, were still released here as usual. If both rumours are true, an entire segment will disappear from Europe in a single generation. Neither Oppo nor Vivo has confirmed anything yet.
The tipster does not explain why the Ultra model, in particular, is being dropped. One explanation is obvious: Ultra models in Europe start at 512GB and go up to 1TB. It’s precisely in this range that higher memory prices have the greatest impact on the suggested retail price, which, at €1,499, is already at the upper end of what the market will accept.
Xiaomi isn’t the only one struggling with the rising costs of memory chips. All manufacturers are currently looking for solutions, though not everyone is taking the same approach. Apple already raised the prices of Macks and iPads in June, where Tim Cook spoke of a once-in-a-century surge in memory prices; the iPhone has so far remained unaffected. Samsung launched the Galaxy S26 and S26+ to be €100 more expensive than the S25 series, while the S26 Ultra remained at €1,449. And Google scrapped the 128GB entry-level model for the Pixel 11: you now start at 256GB, €100 more expensive, bringing the starting price to €999.
What This Means for You
Anyone who was waiting for an 18 Ultra will soon have to settle for the 18 Pro Max. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra will remain on sale and will drop further in price in the coming months, making it an attractive buy right now. And if you’re considering an Oppo Find X9 Ultra or Vivo X300 Ultra: waiting for the successor is no longer an option, as it may not be released here. Buy the current generation while it’s still available in Europe. It’s uncomfortable advice, but it’s honest advice.
Source: Kartikey Singh (@That_Kartikey/X)
