Xiaomi Launches 18 Fold to Preempt Apple Foldable Debut

Xiaomi will launch the 18 Fold smartphone in China on September 7, 2026. The timing positions the company to enter the wide-screen foldable market two days before Apple's scheduled September 9 event, where the technology giant is widely anticipated to unveil its first foldable device, reportedly called the iPhone Ultra.

The 18 Fold utilizes a design approach called mid-fold, featuring a 5.38-inch cover display and a 7.58-inch main screen. It is the first device powered by the company's 3nm Xring O3 processor, which early benchmarks suggest outperforms Apple's A19 Pro chip in multi-core performance. The phone runs Surge OS 4 with the MiMo on-device AI model and uses LPDDR6 memory supplied by ChangXin Memory Technologies.

Developed in collaboration with Leica, the camera system consists of a horizontal strip with three cameras, including a periscope telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom. Lu Weibing, president of Xiaomi's mobile division, described the 18 Fold as the most advanced flagship in the company's lineup, intended to compete directly with standard numbered flagships. The device will launch alongside the Pad 9 Pro Max and several N-series smartphones.

In contrast, the rumored iPhone Ultra is expected to feature slightly larger screens—a 5.5-inch outer and 7.8-inch inner display—and will likely run iOS 27. While Xiaomi emphasizes camera versatility, reports indicate Apple is focusing on software integration and hinge durability for a device expected to cost over $2,000.