Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 launched: Everything the Z Fold 5 is not

Xiaomi launched its first foldable phone back in 2021, following up with a sequel last year. Unfortunately, neither foldable landed outside China, but we hope the newly announced Mix Fold 3 makes its way to global markets.

The Mix Fold 3 brings a svelte design to the table, complete with your choice of composite fiber or glass backs. The composite fiber model measures 10.86mm thick when folded and 5.26mm when unfurled, while weighing 255 grams. Meanwhile, the glass model is 10.96mm thick and weighs 259 grams. Either way, it’s not quite as thin as the HONOR Magic V2 but it’s still slim for a foldable phone.

A long-overdue hardware upgrade

The biggest hardware upgrade might just be the proprietary hinge. The firm says this hinge enables a lighter, slimmer design and is rated for 500,000 folds. It’s unclear if this rating applies to the folding screen too, though. Notably, our hands-on preview describes how well-built the Mix Fold 3 really is, despite its slimness and lightness.

The new hinge also brings a free-stop design for the first time in the Mix Fold line, which means the Mix Fold 3 screen can be partially unfolded between 45 and 135 degrees. That’s an overdue upgrade for Xiaomi, as its previous foldables could either open fully or completely close with nothing in between. This upgrade means the Fold 3 can be used in Flex Mode for video playback, photography, and more.

In saying so, Xiaomi hasn’t mentioned any specific IP rating for its new foldable. This leads us to believe that the device doesn’t have any significant ingress protection certification. So those who value water resistance might want to keep an eye on devices from HUAWEI, Google, and Samsung.

Mix Fold 3: What else is it packing?

Switching to the screens, you’re getting a 6.56-inch FHD+ OLED smartphone display (21:9, 120Hz, Victus 2 protection) and a folding, 8.03-inch LTPO OLED screen (2,160 x 1,916, 120Hz, ultra-thin glass).

Foldable phones traditionally make compromises when it comes to the cameras, but the Mix Fold 3 seems to buck this trend to an extent. The Xiaomi foldable brings a quad rear camera system, featuring a 50MP IMX800 main camera (with OIS), a 12MP ultrawide lens (125-degree field-of-view), and a pair of 10MP telephoto shooters (3.2x and 5x). 

It’s rare to see two telephoto cameras on a foldable, with the vivo X Fold and X Fold Plus being the only other devices in this regard. So those who value great camera zoom should keep this foldable in mind. Otherwise, a 20MP selfie camera is available on each screen.

As for core specs, the Mix Fold 3 offers an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a 4,800mAh battery, 67W wired charging, and 50W wireless charging.

Other features worth noting include dual speakers with Dolby Atmos support, MIUI Fold 14 atop Android 13, and NFC.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 pricing and availability

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 is a China-only release for now, starting at 8,999 yuan (~$1,239) for the 12GB/256GB base model. Want the top-end 16GB/1TB model? Then you’ll be spending 10,999 yuan (~$1,515). The device goes on sale in the market from August 16.

Xiaomi has confirmed after publication that the Mix Fold 3 is exclusive to China. That’s a real shame but not surprising in light of previous models being China exclusives too.