Xiaomi, one of the few remaining Chinese phone manufacturers to compete on the global market, might have to stop holding titanium phones hostage in China. Pushed by recent moves from both Apple and Samsung, Xiaomi might soon have to decide to release a titanium-clad phone globally.
Samsung has just released its first phone, i.e., the Galaxy S24 Ultra, equipped with a titanium frame. But here's a fun fact: Xiaomi did it before Samsung, except there's a big caveat.
Xiaomi released the 14 Pro high-end phone at the beginning of November. Globally, the phone has an aluminum frame, but the manufacturer sold a special edition variant exclusively in China. That version had a titanium frame.
Meanwhile, Samsung brought titanium to the Galaxy S24 Ultra globally. There's no separation between markets for this feature. Any and every S24 Ultra you see in the wild has a titanium frame. Now, rumors have it that Xiaomi will try to hit back.
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Xiaomi has an unusual launch schedule for the 14-series, wherein the base and Pro models were announced in October, while the Ultra variant will be introduced at MWC 2024.
Weird launch aside, reports (via India Today) now say that this upcoming Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which is supposed to represent the best of the series, has a titanium frame. And, more importantly, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra might just bring this feature to the global market as a response to Samsung and Apple stealing all the headlines. It may no longer be China-exclusive.
Not every titanium frame is the same
As of now, there's no detailed information about which grade of titanium the Xiaomi 14 Ultra might use. Indeed, not every titanium frame is the same.
Apple uses Grade 5 titanium for the iPhone 15 Pro, whereas Samsung uses Grade 2 titanium for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Grade 2 is mostly titanium, while Grade 5 is a titanium alloy that contains higher quantities of aluminum and vanadium. Each material has its pros and cons.
If the Xiaomi 14 Ultra will have a titanium frame, it's not yet clear whether it will be Grade 2, Grade 5, or a different titanium alloy altogether.
Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, where the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is said to debut, is scheduled to begin on February 26. As usual, the event will be hosted in Barcelona, Spain.
