Xiaomi 18 Fold debuts ahead of Apple’s rumoured foldable iPhone: price, specs, features
Xiaomi has launched the Xiaomi 18 Fold in China, putting its first wide-format foldable on the market just a day before Apple is rumoured to unveil its first foldable iPhone at its 9 September ‘Surprise and shine’ event. The launch marks the first time Xiaomi has gained a lead in a segment that Apple is reportedly preparing to enter with a similar passport-style design.
The Xiaomi 18 Fold has a 7.58-inch inner display and a 5.38-inch cover screen. It’s also the first smartphone to feature Xiaomi’s new Xring O3 chipset and is equipped with a Leica-backed 200 MP camera system. The phone has an initial price of CNY10,999 in China, while Xiaomi has yet to reveal global pricing.
Xiaomi 18 Fold gets a wide foldable design
Unlike others, the Xiaomi 18 Fold features a wider book design. The inner AMOLED screen measures 7.58 inches, has a 120Hz refresh rate and offers peak brightness of up to 4000 nits. The 5.38″ cover display panel also offers a 120 Hz refresh rate and up to 4,000 nits.
The phone measures 5.02 mm when unfolded and 10.68 mm when folded, while weighing 219 grams. Xiaomi has also bestowed upon it the IP58 and IP59 ratings for dust and water resistance.
Xring O3 chip and 6,000 mAh battery
The foldable is driven by the 3nm, deca-core Xring O3 AI chipset from Xiaomi. It comes with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage. The high-end variant features Chinese memory maker CXMT’s LPDDR6.
It is powered by a 6,000 mAh battery and runs HyperOS 4 Android 17. Charging support is available, including 67W wired and 50W wireless charging.
The Leica-backed triple rear camera is installed on the 18 Fold. It features a 200MP sensor and OIS, a 50MP periscope telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom and a 50MP ultrawide camera. The cover and the inner display also have a 16MP selfie camera.
Xiaomi 18 Fold price and Apple rivalry
The Xiaomi 18 Fold starts at CNY 10,999 (around ₹1.55 lakh) for the 12GB+256GB model. The 16GB+1TB version costs CNY 14,999 (around ₹2.11 lakh), while the Ceramic Special Edition costs CNY 15,999 (around ₹2.25 lakh).
The timing puts Xiaomi’s new foldable directly ahead of Apple’s 9 September event. While Apple hasn’t confirmed the device, it’s widely believed to be the first foldable iPhone the company will release at the event. According to reports, the foldable Apple device is expected to launch, may be priced at more than $2,000, and is designed like a book.
So far, the Xiaomi 18 Fold is scheduled for launch only in China, and there hasn’t been any information on its pricing in international markets or India.
