Huawei, Xiaomi launch new foldable smartphones ahead of Apple event

Two Android foldable makers moved before Apple’s next phone event. That matters if you are waiting to see whether wide book-style phones and trifolds are becoming normal buying options or staying high-end experiments.

Xiaomi is the better documented launch. The 18 Fold is a short, wide book-style foldable with a large battery, a triple rear camera and Xiaomi’s own chip. Huawei is part of the same foldable push, but the available details are much thinner.

Here is what changed, what Xiaomi confirmed, what remains missing on Huawei, and what to watch before Apple’s September 9th launch event.

What changed before Apple’s event

Xiaomi has released the 18 Fold in China. The Verge tried the phone behind closed doors at IFA and described it as Xiaomi’s first book-style foldable since the Mix Fold 4.

The timing is the headline. Xiaomi launched its foldable in the same week Apple is expected to move into the same category. The source still frames Apple with an “if,” so an Apple foldable iPhone is not confirmed here.

For Xiaomi, the confirmed buying details are clear:

• Preorders in China start from ¥10,999 (about $1,600).
• Official sales start on September 10.
• International launch has not been confirmed.
• No IP rating has been announced.

That last point matters if you buy foldables for daily use. Xiaomi has strong hardware on paper, but durability details are still incomplete.

Xiaomi 18 Fold: the screen and shape

The 18 Fold follows Huawei and Samsung toward a shorter, squatter foldable shape. Xiaomi goes wider than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8. The phone has a roughly 1.4:1 aspect ratio on both its inner and outer displays.

The main screen is 7.58 inches. The cover screen is 5.38 inches and has rounded corners. The Verge said the phone is compact and pocketable when closed, and the cover screen is comfortable to use one-handed.

When open, the shape fits movies and ebooks well. Xiaomi includes split-screen apps and floating windows, so multitasking is still part of the software. The short cover screen may make some apps run awkwardly, based on The Verge’s hands-on expectation.

Both OLED displays reach up to 4,000 nits of peak brightness. That is one of the headline specs Xiaomi is using to separate the 18 Fold from Samsung’s current foldable.

Xiaomi 18 Fold: chip, battery and cameras

The 18 Fold is the first Xiaomi phone powered by the company’s Xring O3 chipset. The source says Xiaomi promises Snapdragon 8 Elite-level performance.

It also includes Arm’s Mali G2-Ultra NX GPU. That GPU brings mobile-first support for Arm’s DLSS-style graphics acceleration on Android. For phone gamers, that is one reason to pay attention even if the 18 Fold does not launch outside China.

The battery and charging specs are also higher than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 in the source comparison:

• 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery.
• 67W wired charging.
• 50W wireless charging.
• Galaxy Z Fold 8 comparison point: 4,800mAh battery.

The camera setup is another major change. Xiaomi includes a triple rear camera system backed by its Leica partnership: a 200-megapixel main camera with a 1/1.56-inch-type sensor, a 50-megapixel 3.5x periscope telephoto, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide.

The Verge notes that those camera specs still lag behind Xiaomi’s slab flagships. They are still stronger than what the reviewer expected from a foldable near this class.

The trade-offs to check before buying

The 18 Fold looks strong on a spec sheet, but there are trade-offs. It is slightly heavier and thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The Verge also said Samsung may have the edge on build quality.

Xiaomi has not announced an IP rating for the 18 Fold. If dust or water resistance is part of your buying checklist, that line item is missing. You should see a named IP rating in the product specs before treating it as confirmed.

The crease is another point to check in person. The Verge said the 18 Fold’s crease looked more obvious than on this year’s Samsung foldables. Oppo’s Find N6 is described in the source as the only foldable that has all-but eliminated the crease.

Xiaomi will sell the phone in black, white and red. There is also a pink ceramic special edition, limited to 1,500 units.

Where Huawei fits in this launch cycle

Huawei is present in the same foldable timing, but the confirmed information in the available source is limited. The page references Huawei’s latest trifold and describes it as copying Samsung’s privacy display. It also says Xiaomi followed Huawei and Samsung in moving toward a short, squat foldable design.

What is not confirmed here matters as much as what is confirmed. The source does not provide Huawei’s:

• Model name.
• Price.
• Battery size.
• Camera specs.
• Sales date.
• Launch markets.

That means Huawei helps explain the direction of foldable phone design, but Xiaomi is the device with enough confirmed detail for a buying check.

What Apple changes right now

Right now, Apple changes the comparison clock. The Verge says Apple is expected to do the same in the same week, and it points to Apple’s September 9th launch event. The same source also says “if Apple announces” a foldable iPhone, so treat the Apple foldable as unconfirmed.

Do not compare Xiaomi or Huawei against expected Apple specs that have not been announced. Wait for Apple’s confirmed hardware list, then compare the same items across devices:

1. Local availability.
2. Display size and aspect ratio.
3. IP rating.
4. Battery size and charging speed.
5. Rear camera hardware.

You should end up with a direct comparison instead of a rumor-versus-spec-sheet mismatch.

Should you spend money or time on these foldables?

If you are outside China, the 18 Fold is mostly worth your time, not your money yet. Xiaomi has not confirmed an international launch. Until that changes, it is not a normal retail option in other markets.

If you are in China, the 18 Fold is worth a closer look if you want a wide foldable with a 6,000mAh battery, fast wired and wireless charging, and a triple camera system. The missing IP rating should stay on your checklist.

If you are comparing against Samsung, the choice is more specific. Xiaomi is shorter and wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, has a larger battery, and includes the triple camera setup described above. Samsung may still have the build-quality edge, based on The Verge’s hands-on impression.

If you are waiting on Apple, wait through the event. Apple’s foldable hardware is not confirmed in the available source, so the clean move is to compare after Apple publishes real specs.

Conclusion

Xiaomi’s 18 Fold is the concrete launch here: China pricing, sales timing and main specs are confirmed. Huawei’s latest trifold is part of the same foldable push, but the available source does not confirm enough detail for a full buying comparison.

Next, check whether Xiaomi confirms an international launch, then wait for Apple’s event before making a foldable phone shortlist.