Xiaomi has launched its new Xiaomi 18 Fold foldable smartphone in the foldable smartphone market. Currently introduced only in the Chinese market, it comes with a standard book-style foldable design featuring a large battery and high-end display specifications. The Xiaomi 18 Fold has been crafted to offer a compact smartphone experience when folded and a large-screen tablet-like experience when unfolded.
In terms of design, this smartphone offers options like white, black, and ceramic finish. Weighing around 221g, it measures 10.68mm in thickness when folded and 5.2mm when unfolded. Rounded edges and iPhone-style curved design elements give its appearance a premium feel. Materials such as an aluminium alloy frame and Ceramic Shield Glass 3.0 have been used.
Xiaomi has also paid high attention to the display section. It comes with a 5.38-inch exterior display and a 7.58-inch interior foldable display. Since both feature an LTPO 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 4000 nits peak brightness, it delivers a smooth visual experience for scrolling, video viewing, and gaming.
For performance, Xiaomi has used its new Xiaomi XRING 03 3nm chipset for the first time. Alongside this, options of 12GB/16GB RAM and storage ranging from 256GB to 1TB are provided. A 6000mAh Silicon Carbon battery, 67W wired charging, and 50W wireless charging are also key features.
The camera department features a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP telephoto camera setup. However, reports suggest that issues like software scaling and certain bugs are present. Overall, although the Xiaomi 18 Fold packs many new features, it appears that it still requires refinement in a few areas to stand out as a premium foldable smartphone.
Xiaomi 18 Fold Specs
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Display
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Main: 7.58" Super Sunlight Display Cover: 5.38" Super Sunlight Display 4000 nits Peak Brightness • LTPO 1-120Hz |
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Protection & Build
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Ceramic Shield Glass 3.0 (Front & Back) Aluminium Alloy Frame • IP58 / IP59 Rating |
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Processor
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Xiaomi XRING 03 (3nm Process) |
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RAM / Storage
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12GB / 16GB LPDDR5X/6 RAM 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.0) |
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Rear Camera
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200 MP (Main) + 50 MP (Ultrawide) + 50 MP (Telephoto) |
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Front Camera
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16 MP Selfie Camera |
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Battery & Charge
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6000 mAh Silicon Carbon 67W Wired HyperCharge • 50W Wireless HyperCharge |
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Dimensions
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Folded: 10.68mm | Unfolded: 5.2mm Weight: 221g |
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Connectivity
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5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth, UWB, Side-mounted Fingerprint |
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Software
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Xiaomi Foldable UI |
Xiaomi 18 Fold – Design and Build
When looking at the design of the Xiaomi 18 Fold, it has been crafted in a way that gives the impression of a premium foldable smartphone. White, Black, and Ceramic finish options are provided. Due to rounded edges and curved design elements, the overall appearance of the device is very clean. Weighing 221g, Xiaomi has made an effort to ensure it doesn't feel overly heavy for a large foldable phone. Measuring 10.68mm in thickness when folded and just 5.2mm when opened is also something worth noting. Materials like an aluminium alloy side frame and Ceramic Shield Glass 3.0 have been used. Furthermore, having IP58/IP59 protection provides added safety regarding water and dust resistance. However, there seems to be room for further refinement in the hinge area. Since the hinge mechanism is crucial for a premium foldable smartphone, running smoothly and consistently over long-term use is essential.
Xiaomi 18 Fold Display
The display stands as one of the most important parts of the Xiaomi 18 Fold. On the outside, a 5.38-inch Xiaomi HyperRGB Super Sunlight Display is provided. Its LTPO technology supports an adaptive refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz. This allows the refresh rate to adjust as needed, balancing both smooth scrolling and battery efficiency. Upon opening the device, you get a 7.58-inch Xiaomi HyperRGB Super Sunlight Display. This also supports LTPO 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 4000 nits peak brightness. This large inner display offers a good experience for uses such as video streaming, browsing, gaming, and multitasking. Nevertheless, if an additional display treatment like a matte coating had been provided on the inner display, reflections could have been reduced, making outdoor usage even better.
Xiaomi 18 Fold Performance
In the performance department, Xiaomi has used its own new chipset. The Xiaomi XRING 03 is a chipset developed based on a 3nm manufacturing process. It is used for the first time in the Xiaomi 18 Fold. Along with 12GB and 16GB RAM options, storage variants of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB are offered. LPDDR5X/6 RAM and UFS 4.0 storage will assist with fast app loading, file transfers, and multitasking. This hardware is capable of providing sufficient performance for gaming as well. However, some user experiences suggest that the device warms up during long sessions of playing demanding games. Overall, the Xiaomi 18 Fold possesses a performance platform capable of handling everyday usage, multitasking, and heavy applications.
Xiaomi 18 Fold Battery and Charging
Battery capacity is a crucial factor in foldable smartphones. In that regard, the Xiaomi 18 Fold features a significant upgrade. It packs a 6000mAh Silicon Carbon battery. Offering such a large battery capacity in the foldable smartphone segment stands out as one of its main highlights. In the charging department, 67W wired HyperCharge and 50W wireless HyperCharge support are provided. Considering the large inner display and powerful processor, the 6000mAh battery should deliver good battery endurance in daily usage. The use of Silicon Carbon battery technology may also be key to long-term battery performance.
Xiaomi 18 Fold Camera
The Xiaomi 18 Fold comes with impressive hardware in its camera setup as well. It features a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide camera, and a 50MP telephoto camera. This combination offers flexibility for various photography scenarios. With the 200MP main sensor, images with high detail can be captured under good lighting conditions. The ultrawide camera helps with landscape and group photography, while the telephoto camera can be used for zoom photography. A 16MP front camera is provided for selfies and video calls. While the hardware specifications are strong, the camera experience in foldable phones relies not just on hardware, but also on image processing and software optimization.
Xiaomi 18 Fold Software Experience
The Xiaomi 18 Fold offers a software experience tailored to the foldable form factor. However, reports indicate that there are some scaling issues and bugs in the software section. In particular, if applications do not adapt properly to the large inner display, the foldable experience can be affected. Since this device has been launched targeting the Chinese market, the software experience and application optimization may need further refinement to match global foldable devices. If these issues are resolved through future software updates, the overall user experience has the potential to become even better.
Xiaomi 18 Fold – Speaker Experience
While the speaker quality is not completely terrible, there is an expectation that it could be even better for a premium foldable smartphone of this level. The audio quality is sufficient for music, videos, and calls. However, as a device competing in the flagship foldable segment, additional attention could have been paid to speaker loudness, stereo separation, and overall sound quality.
Xiaomi 18 Fold – Our Verdict
Looking at the Xiaomi 18 Fold, it is clear that Xiaomi has attempted to pull together several key elements into a single device in the foldable smartphone segment. The 6000mAh Silicon Carbon battery, 67W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, 7.58-inch inner display, 4000 nits brightness, and the new 3nm Xiaomi XRING 03 chipset are its major strengths. At the same time, since it is a premium foldable phone, further refinement is expected in certain areas. In particular, the hinge mechanism, speaker experience, software scaling, and bugs stand out as areas that need improvement. Although the display quality and performance are in good shape, users buying an expensive foldable smartphone will not expect any compromise in the overall experience. Therefore, while the Xiaomi 18 Fold cannot be called a completely perfect foldable, it stands as a notable effort that delivers a large battery, powerful hardware, and a premium foldable display all in one device. There is potential for its experience to improve even further through software updates and future optimization.
Xiaomi 18 Fold FAQs
1. That is the Xiaomi 18 Fold? The Xiaomi 18 Fold is Xiaomi's new book-style foldable smartphone. It has currently been launched in the Chinese market.
2. How much battery does the Xiaomi 18 Fold have? The Xiaomi 18 Fold comes with a 6000mAh Silicon Carbon battery. Additionally, it has 67W wired and 50W wireless HyperCharge support.
3. What is the Xiaomi 18 Fold Display Size? It features a 5.38-inch display on the outside and a 7.58-inch inner display when the device is opened. Both feature an LTPO 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
4. Which processor does the Xiaomi 18 Fold use? The Xiaomi 18 Fold uses Xiaomi's new Xiaomi XRING 03 3nm chipset.
5. What are the Xiaomi 18 Fold Camera Specifications? It comes equipped with a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide camera, a 50MP telephoto camera, and a 16MP selfie camera.