I tried the Xiaomi 18 Fold, and I think Samsung and Apple should be worried

Xiaomi gave us a chance to get our hands on its new ide foldable at IFA 2026, and after spending a very limited amount of time with it, I can already see why Samsung might want to pay attention.

The Xiaomi 18 Fold is the company’s first wide-screen foldable phone in its main numbered flagship series, and its timing is impeccable. The phone arrives shortly after Samsung launched its first wide-screen Galaxy Z Fold 8 and just days before Apple is expected to unveil its first folding iPhone. Xiaomi’s approach isn’t identical to either, though. The 18 Fold has a more rounded look, especially when it’s unfolded, and packs a surprisingly ambitious camera system into its passport-style body.

I only spent a short time with the phone at IFA 2026, but even that brief hands-on was enough to convince me that if Xiaomi brings the 18 Fold to global markets, Samsung has a serious new competitor on its hands.

Design matters

The first thing that struck me about the Xiaomi 18 Fold is just how its proportions feel compared with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8.

When closed, the Xiaomi device has that familiar passport-like shape we’ve now seen from Samsung’s wide-screen foldable, but Xiaomi has gone for rounder corners on one side, while the hinged edge has flat corners. When you unfold it, those rounded corners make the 18 Fold look a bit softer and less boxy than Samsung’s latest Fold.

I actually quite like the overall look. The red finish I used at IFA is easily the standout option, with a deep cherry-red rear panel and matching metal frame. However, Xiaomi says the 18 Fold will also be available in black and white, but the red is the one I would pick.

The outer display measures 5.38 inches, while the internal screen measures 7.58 inches.

The inner panel is particularly interesting because Xiaomi has opted for a 2:1 aspect ratio. The idea is to make the larger display more comfortable for everyday viewing.

I didn’t have enough time with the phone to properly assess things like brightness, viewing angles, or outdoor readability, but the basic experience was promising.

The camera app is also clearly designed around that larger canvas. When you open it on the inner screen, the viewfinder sits in the center while the controls occupy the surrounding space. It’s a little unusual at first, but it makes sense once you start using the extra screen real estate. I particularly liked the wheel-style zoom controls on the camera app. There’s something very satisfying about rolling that wheel to zoom in and out.

The cameras tell a promising story

Speaking of the cameras, this is where the Xiaomi 18 Fold likely has its biggest advantage over Samsung’s Fold 8.

The phone features a triple-camera setup on the back, with a 200MP main camera alongside 50MP ultrawide and telephoto cameras. The camera bar carries Leica branding, and the text printed above the lenses reveals a 17-80mm focal range, with the camera UI itself showing 0.7x, 1x, 2x, and 3.5 options. Xiaomi also offers up to 100x digital zoom.

That’s an impressive camera setup for a compact foldable, and one that has an edge over the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which doesn’t have a dedicated telephoto shooter.

The camera app gives you plenty of controls, including a dedicated 50MP shooting mode and the option to change the main camera’s default focal length to 23mm, 28mm, or 35mm.

Of course, I didn’t have enough time with the phone to tell you whether those cameras and features are actually good. The hardware certainly looks promising, but we’ll need proper testing before drawing conclusions about image quality.

There’s a serious processor inside

The Xiaomi 18 Fold isn’t just about its unusual design or its camera features; it’s the company’s first flagship smartphone to use the in-house XRing 03 chip. The phone also uses next-generation LPDDR6 RAM, with memory capable of speeds up to 12,800 Mbps.

Xiaomi is increasingly trying to control more of the technology stack inside its flagship phones, and the 18 Fold is an interesting showcase for that effort. Rather than simply taking Qualcomm’s latest chip and putting it inside a foldable, Xiaomi is using the phone to show off its own silicon alongside next-generation Chinese-made memory.

I obviously couldn’t properly test the XRing O3 during my brief hands-on time, but the phone felt snappy and responsive, just as one would expect from a 2026 flagship.

But will you actually be able to buy it?

There’s no denying that Xiaomi has picked the perfect time to launch a wide-screen foldable phone. While Samsung and Apple are also following a similar design language, let’s not forget the HUAWEI Pura X Max, which was clearly the first device to bring this passport-style form factor to the market.

That said, Xiaomi has not yet confirmed a global launch for the 18 Fold, at least not as of this writing. While the device has launched in China, it would be a shame if the company doesn’t bring it to international markets. As far as first impressions go, I would say the Xiaomi 18 Fold has made a pretty good one.