The next wide-screen foldable may have just leaked in real-world images

Xiaomi’s XRing O3 chipset has already made headlines with some seriously ambitious performance claims, but the chip’s first phone may be just as interesting. Xiaomi has confirmed that the 3nm processor will debut in the Xiaomi 18 Fold next month, and now leaked images appear to show the company’s upcoming foldable in the flesh.

The images, which Digital Chat Station (DCS) shared on Weibo, show a book-style foldable with a wide inner display similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8, relatively thick bezels, and a punch-hole selfie camera near the upper-right corner. One image also shows the rear of the device, including a large camera module, but it doesn’t reveal enough to say much about its hardware.

These are not official Xiaomi product shots. Still, the similarities to Xiaomi’s own HyperOS 4 image are hard to dismiss. That earlier image showed a wide foldable with the same general display shape, bezel design, and punch-hole placement. The software shown on the screen also appeared tailored to the form factor.

Xiaomi has already confirmed that the phone will be called the Xiaomi 18 Fold and launch in September. Beyond that, details remain scarce. We don’t yet know its full specifications, dimensions, price, or whether Xiaomi plans to sell it outside China. But the XRing O3 hints at what’s coming under the hood. Its 10-core CPU tops out at 4.35GHz, which is impressive but below the rumored 5.01GHz peak for Qualcomm’s next Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 and the 4.55GHz reportedly planned for MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 Pro.

Its Arm G2-Ultra NX GPU is claimed to be up to 85% faster than the XRing O1 in some tests and 182% faster in ray tracing. Xiaomi also says it beats Apple’s A19 Pro in all three GPU tests it shared. The chip has reportedly passed 5.2 million points in AnTuTu V11, although independent testing will have the final say.

The XRing O3 won’t be exclusive to the foldable. Xiaomi’s Pad 9 Pro Max is also expected to use the chip and be among the first devices running HyperOS 4.

When it arrives, the Xiaomi 18 Fold will join the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in offering wide foldable options, with Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone also expected to add to the category. Xiaomi’s September launch should fill in the blanks surrounding its first wide-screen foldable.