Compatible applications
Xiaomi has made public, through its overseas channel, an initial list of applications that will be compatible with the rear screen of the 18 Pro series, according to a report by IT之家. The list includes Google Maps, Gemini, Spotify, YouTube Music and Trip.com. The announcement therefore concerns adapting the secondary panel to the services most used outside China, a step the company is completing ahead of the commercial debut in international markets.
The rear screen, which the company calls AI 百变背屏, is not new in Xiaomi's product lineup: it is already present on the model launched in China. What is new in the announcement is the extension of support to a set of external services, a necessary condition for the feature to make sense for users outside the Chinese market.
AI-generated functions
According to the source, the 18 Pro series will also support generative AI functions applied to the rear screen. In a demonstration video published by group vice president and marketing head Xu Fei, the device is shown creating applications for the secondary panel from user requests, such as vocabulary learning or drink reminders.
This is a company statement accompanied by a video demonstration, not an independent verification of the product's capabilities. The material does not clarify which AI models are involved or whether generation takes place on the device or through external services, elements that remain to be established.
Specifications and release timing
The 18 Pro series was officially unveiled in China on the evening of September 23, according to a previous report by the same outlet. The device runs on the sixth-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform, a Leica rear camera system with a 200-megapixel main sensor and a 200-megapixel telephoto lens, and is sold starting at 5,999 yuan.
Regarding international distribution, executive Lu Weibing said on September 26 that foreign media and users had shown considerable interest in the series and were awaiting its arrival, adding that the new models would arrive on the international market within the year. The statement indicates an intention and a time window, but not a precise date or a list of the countries concerned.
What remains to be verified
The emerging picture links three elements: the availability of well-known applications on the rear panel, the announcement of generative features, and the promise of an international arrival within the year. However, confirmation of prices and configurations for overseas markets is missing, as is an indication of which of the cited applications will be available in all countries.
It is also not specified whether the announced support covers the entire series or only some models, nor whether the generative AI functions will be offered in the same way outside China. These aspects, along with the actual launch dates, remain to be verified.
