*The Xiaomi 18 Fold is a cute, compact, premium foldable with a unique design – though guessing it won't be for long. I got early hands-on time with Xiaomi’s first mid-size foldable ahead of it's launch and that of Apple's first foldable iPhone.*
With its short, wide proportions, asymmetrical cover screen, Leica triple-camera system and new XRING O3 chip, the Xiaomi 18 Fold feels a little like an iPhone Fold from a parallel universe. Specifically, China.
In this hands-on first look, I cover how Xiaomi got here, from the Mix Fold series to the rise of wider foldables like the OPPO Find N, Huawei Pura X, Google Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 8. I also take a closer look at the 18 Fold’s design, crease, displays, cameras, performance, battery and the big question: will it ever launch outside China?
*Chapters*
00:00 Xiaomi 18 Fold hands-on
00:58 What is the Xiaomi 18 Fold?
02:24 A brief history of wide foldables
03:27 Design, build and crease
04:36 Xiaomi XRING O3 performance
05:25 6,000mAh battery, charging and China-only concerns
05:40 Xiaomi 18 Fold price
06:22 Leica triple cameras
07:25 That asymmetrical cover screen
08:38 Early verdict
**Xiaomi 18 Fold key specs**
5.38-inch cover display
7.58-inch folding display
1-120Hz LTPO
Up to 4,000 nits peak brightness
Xiaomi XRING O3 3nm chipset
LPDDR6 memory support
6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery
67W wired charging
50W wireless charging
200MP Samsung HP5 main camera
50MP 3.5x periscope telephoto
50MP ultrawide
Leica image processing
219g
10.68mm folded
5.02mm unfolded
The Xiaomi 18 Fold starts at ¥10,999 in China, which is roughly $1,640 / £1,210 at current exchange rates. Those are direct currency conversions rather than expected US or UK retail prices.
Right now, Xiaomi hasn’t announced a global launch. Given that XRING-powered Xiaomi flagships have so far remained in China, I’m not holding my breath, but I’d love to get one in for a full review.
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