Samsung Galaxy S27 and Xiaomi 18 spotted: Major Leica camera lineup changes expected
In recent hours and days, traces of new next-generation Samsung and Xiaomi flagships have appeared in the GSMA database, better known as the IMEI database, usually one of the first concrete indications of a smartphone in development. Neither Samsung's 2027 lineup nor the Leica camera flagships from China are fully represented in the database yet, but the Xiaomi flagships in particular are already showing the first signs of changes that are also likely to affect the global Xiaomi 18 generation.
Samsung Galaxy S27
But let's start with the successor to the 6.3-inch Galaxy S26, which identifies itself as the US version of the Galaxy S27 with the model number SM-S952U. The number 952 can clearly be identified as the successor to the Galaxy S26 base model with the number 942, so despite rumors of a Galaxy S27 Pro model, there will likely once again be a more compact entry-level model in the roughly $900 price range in 2027.
Four global Xiaomi 18 models
The Xiaomi lineup is less clear, as Ximitime currently suggests. Here, too, an informative model number has been discovered in the IMEI database, namely 2611FPNFA, which has appeared in the database in multiple versions. 2611FPNFAR is the model for Japan, 2611FPNFAI is the model for India, and 2611FPNFAG is the global version. Interestingly, the China model does not use the usual C at the end but, according to the screenshot, carries the number M154FF, which the article unfortunately does not address.
Xiaomi 18 or Xiaomi 18 Pro?
The fact that global Xiaomi 18 variants are being developed alongside the China model points to a change in launch strategy compared to recent years, something we already reported a few weeks ago. This could finally mean there will no longer be an almost six-month wait between the launch in China and the global release. A global Xiaomi 18 Pro would also be conceivable, though neither has been proven at this point.
According to earlier indications, the Xiaomi 18 is being developed under the codename "madrid", and in combination with a HyperOS code analysis by Ximitime, that now raises some questions. In theory, "madrid" should be assigned the abbreviation Q3, analogous to P3 for the Xiaomi 17. Instead, however, the code snippet below shows Q2, which according to the previous logic would actually point to the Xiaomi 18 Pro. Given the paused and potentially discontinued development of the Xiaomi 18 Ultra, it is conceivable that Xiaomi's model number logic has changed, according to Ximitime. It should be noted that model number analysis always carries some risk, since the manufacturer often follows a certain structure but can also change it at any time.
Xiaomi 18 launch not until November?
That may also apply to another conclusion that could potentially be drawn from the discovered model numbers. As many readers may know, the first four digits of the number often indicate the earliest possible launch date, in this case 2611, meaning November 2026. Compared to recent years, that would be very late for the China launch, which took place in September 2025 last year. For the global launch, however, it would be early, as Xiaomi fans in Europe previously had to wait until the end of February of the following year. We are somewhat skeptical that Xiaomi will actually wait until November to launch the Xiaomi 18, so caution is also advised when interpreting these numbers.
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