Xiaomi 16 Pro rumoured to launch as new compact flagship to rival iPhone 17 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro

The launch of Xiaomi's next-generation flagships is right around the corner. Based on current expectations, Xiaomi will present its first Xiaomi 16-branded smartphones next month in the wake of Qualcomm announcing the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. With Qualcomm having scheduled its next Snapdragon Summit between September 23 and September 25, Xiaomi is believed to be lining up a late September launch event for the Xiaomi 16 series.

In the meantime, Digital Chat Station has offered up new details about what is anticipated to be a new option in Xiaomi's flagship line-up. For context, the company only offers the Xiaomi 15 (curr. $900 on Amazon) as a sub-6.5-inch flagship option. While a direct successor is expected to debut next month, Digital Chat Station now implies this will be joined by a smaller Xiaomi 16 Pro, too.

Incidentally, this rumour has appeared shortly after Xiaomi confirmed that significant changes are planned for the Xiaomi 16 series. In Digital Chat Station's view, this will take the form of a new circa 6.3-inch Pro-branded flagship in part powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset and a 6,300 mAh battery. Moreover, the Xiaomi 16 Pro is reported to contain a 50 MP and 1/1.28-inch primary camera aided by ultra-wide-angle and periscope telephoto lenses too.

In other words, it looks like Xiaomi intends to offer a direct rival to the Pixel 10 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro, which will all be launching within a month or so of each other. Unfortunately, Xiaomi has a track record of not releasing its Pro-branded flagships outside of China. As a result, it is currently unclear whether the Xiaomi 16 Pro will be available globally.