India, June 15 -- The Xiaomi 18 Series has officially entered the certification phase. A Xiaomi 18 GSMA listing carrying the codename "madrid" has surfaced, signalling that the lineup is moving closer to commercialisation. At a first glance, this is good news. However, study what the leak actually shows and a pattern of uncertainty, delays and lack of features crops up; that's something all potential buyers should know before they get too excited.

The first and biggest issue with the Xiaomi 18 release date is that it's already slipped under the radar. According to earlier leaks, the Xiaomi 18 launch date was expected to fall in September 2026. The '2611' model numbering in the GSMA database points to a launch around November 2026, roughl...