Xiaomi has officially shown its upcoming Xiaomi 18 Fold at IFA 2026 in Berlin, giving the world its first clear look at the company’s new wide-format foldable phone. The device is expected to launch in China on September 7, just days before Apple’s expected debut of its first foldable iPhone.
The Xiaomi 18 Fold is particularly interesting because its shape is closer to the newer, wider style used by Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8. Xiaomi is also using its own XRing O3 processor, making the phone an important test for the company’s growing chip business.
Xiaomi changes the shape of its foldable
The Xiaomi 18 Fold takes a different approach from Xiaomi’s earlier Mix Fold phones. Instead of being tall and narrow when closed, the new model has a shorter and wider body.
The result is a foldable that looks closer to a normal smartphone when it is closed. The design has rounded corners and a wide outer screen, while the main display opens into a larger tablet-like screen.
Xiaomi has shown the phone in a deep red finish, giving the device a distinctive appearance. The rear has a horizontal camera bar that stretches across part of the upper section.
The company describes this as a new “mid-fold” form factor, placing the phone between traditional large foldables and smaller flip-style devices.
The outer screen is wider than older Xiaomi foldables
The Xiaomi 18 Fold reportedly has a 5.38-inch cover display and a 7.58-inch inner folding display. These measurements give the phone a wider overall shape than many older book-style foldables.
The wider design is one of the biggest reasons the phone is being compared with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8. The goal is to make the outer screen feel more like a regular smartphone instead of a narrow display that is mainly useful for quick tasks.
The larger inner screen can then be used for reading, watching videos, browsing websites and running multiple apps.
| Display | Xiaomi 18 Fold |
|---|---|
| Cover display | 5.38 inches |
| Inner display | 7.58 inches |
| Form | Book-style foldable |
| Body style | Short and wide |
| Inner screen use | Large-screen multitasking and media |
Xiaomi has not yet released the complete display specifications, including all details about resolution, refresh rate and brightness.
Xiaomi 18 Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold 8
The comparison with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is not accidental. Both phones use a wider foldable format designed to make the closed phone easier to use.
The Xiaomi model appears to have a more rounded body, while Samsung’s design has a more box-like appearance. Xiaomi also places the inner selfie camera toward the top-right corner of the folding display, according to reports from the IFA preview.
That placement could be useful when reading because the camera cutout is farther away from the center of the screen. Whether this is actually better will depend on how apps use the display.
The two phones also differ in their approach to cameras. The Xiaomi 18 Fold has a triple rear-camera system, with markings on the camera bar suggesting a focal range from around 17mm to 80mm. Reports indicate that this could include a dedicated telephoto camera.
Xiaomi’s own XRing O3 chip is a major story
The Xiaomi 18 Fold is more than a new foldable design. It is also the first flagship smartphone that Xiaomi has confirmed will use its next-generation XRing O3 processor.
This is important because Xiaomi has been investing more heavily in its own chip technology. The company has traditionally used processors from Qualcomm and MediaTek in its flagship phones, but its XRing program gives Xiaomi greater control over some of the technology inside its devices.
Xiaomi has confirmed that the 18 Fold will use the XRing O3. The company has also said the chip is designed to work with the phone’s next-generation memory technology.
LPDDR6 memory could make the phone even more interesting
Another notable hardware detail is the use of LPDDR6 memory.
Xiaomi has confirmed that the 18 Fold will feature next-generation LPDDR6 RAM supplied by ChangXin Memory Technologies. The memory can reach speeds of up to 12,800Mbps, according to the reported specifications.
This is significant because faster memory can help a phone move data between the processor and memory more quickly. That can be useful for demanding applications, multitasking and AI workloads.
It also makes the Xiaomi 18 Fold an important product for China’s growing semiconductor industry.
Triple cameras give Xiaomi another advantage
The rear camera system is housed inside a horizontal camera bar. The phone has three rear cameras, according to the first official looks and reports.
The camera markings suggest a focal range from 17mm to 80mm, which points to an ultra-wide camera, main camera and telephoto camera arrangement.
A dedicated telephoto camera could give Xiaomi an advantage in zoom photography. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a strong camera system, but the exact camera hardware comparison will depend on the final Xiaomi specifications.
Xiaomi has not yet revealed all camera sensor details, so claims about exact optical zoom capability should be treated carefully until the company publishes the complete specifications.
The battery could be surprisingly large
Earlier leaks suggested that the Xiaomi 18 Fold could have a battery with a capacity of around 6,000mAh. However, Xiaomi has not yet officially confirmed the battery specification in its IFA announcement.
That reported capacity would be notable for a foldable phone because foldable designs have to divide internal space between two halves of the device.
The final battery size, charging speed and battery-life claims should therefore be checked against Xiaomi’s official specifications after the September 7 launch.
Xiaomi 18 Fold launch date is confirmed
Xiaomi has confirmed that the 18 Fold will launch in China on September 7, 2026.
The company has not yet confirmed global availability. This is important for buyers outside China because a Chinese launch does not automatically mean the phone will receive a worldwide release.
Pricing has also not been announced at the time of the IFA preview.
| Launch detail | Current status |
|---|---|
| Product | Xiaomi 18 Fold |
| China launch | September 7, 2026 |
| IFA first look | September 2026 |
| Global launch | Not confirmed |
| Global price | Not announced |
| Chip | XRing O3 |
| Memory | LPDDR6 confirmed |
The September 7 event should provide the remaining details, including pricing, storage versions, full camera specifications and software information.
A direct challenge to Samsung’s wider Fold design
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 helped push the wider foldable shape into the spotlight. Xiaomi is now following that direction with its own interpretation.
The biggest benefit of the wider design is the outer screen. A wider display can make typing, browsing and normal phone use more comfortable without opening the device.
At the same time, the large inner screen retains the main reason people buy a foldable: having a much bigger display available when needed.
Xiaomi’s rounded design could also make the phone feel different from Samsung’s more rectangular approach.
Apple is about to enter the same conversation
Timing makes the Xiaomi 18 Fold even more interesting. Xiaomi’s China launch is scheduled for September 7, while Apple’s September 9 event is expected to introduce its first foldable iPhone.
Reports have suggested that Apple’s foldable iPhone will also use a wide, book-style design.
That means three major companies are now moving toward a similar idea: a foldable phone that looks and feels more like a normal wide smartphone when closed.
This could become an important new direction for the foldable market.
What is still unknown
Although Xiaomi has now shown the phone publicly, several important details remain incomplete.
- The final price has not been announced.
- Global availability has not been confirmed.
- Xiaomi has not published the complete camera specifications.
- Full display, battery and charging details are still awaited.
These gaps should be filled during the September 7 launch event.
Xiaomi is making its foldable more than a design experiment
The Xiaomi 18 Fold is shaping up to be one of the company’s most important phones of 2026. Its wide design puts it directly into competition with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, while the upcoming Apple foldable could soon create another major rival.
But the XRing O3 chip may ultimately be just as important as the folding screen. Xiaomi is using its own silicon in a flagship foldable while also adopting next-generation LPDDR6 memory.
The first look from IFA shows a phone that is shorter and wider than Xiaomi’s earlier foldables, with a large inner display, a distinctive red finish and a triple-camera system.
The full picture will come on September 7. Until then, the Xiaomi 18 Fold looks like a serious new entry in the growing wide-foldable category, but its final price and international availability will determine whether it can become a true global rival to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8.