Foldable smartphones are still exciting, but the mainstream form factor has started to feel a bit stale. Samsung and Huawei have reworked their foldables into a shorter, wider frame. Apple is set to reveal its take on the design with the rumored iPhone Ultra on September 9. But right on cue, Xiaomi has stepped in to tease its own wide foldable, the Xiaomi 18 Fold.
First look
This is the Xiaomi 18 Fold. | Image by Xiaomi
Xiaomi pulled back the curtain on the Xiaomi 18 Fold at the ongoing IFA trade show. The device looks more like the upcoming iPhone Ultra than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, sporting rounded corners and a horizontal camera bar.
It's the first flagship phone to be powered by the home-brewed XRING O3 chipset. Truth be told, we have seen the phone, and Apple might have a good reason to feel a little uneasy.
What would make you choose the Xiaomi 18 Fold over the iPhone Ultra?
197 Votes
Price
54.82%
Cameras
23.86%
Color
1.52%
Nothing
19.8%
Initial impressions
Our own Preslav Kataliev got to see the Xiaomi 18 Fold from afar. While he didn't get hands-on time, he struggled to spot any visible crease on the display.
He couldn't help but compare the device to the iPhone Ultra due to its striking similarity to renders and dummy units that have surfaced so far.
Xiaomi will reveal more details on September 7, which is when it will launch the device in China. That's two days before Apple's big announcement.
China happens to be the second-largest iPhone market, and by beating Apple to the punch, Xiaomi is putting itself in a position to succeed.
The device is interesting for several reasons and is bound to find buyers if it reaches international shores.
For starters, the in-house XRING O3 chipset performed better than the current top flagships on a benchmark test. And it's not about raw performance alone; Xiaomi is also promising efficiency and robust on-device AI capabilities.
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The device has a triple-camera system, giving it one extra lens over the iPhone Ultra. I am no photographer, but the initial sample shots look impressive.
Best of all, you can bet it won't cross the $2,000 mark like the iPhone Ultra. And, of course, the scarlet paint job is bound to turn heads.
Validating the form factor
The Xiaomi 18 Fold is just another proof that manufacturers are eager to capitalize on the passport-style form factor, which, as Samsung will tell you, is proving to be a hit. Too bad the Xiaomi 18 Fold will not be available everywhere.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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