Xiaomi has unveiled the 18 Fold, a "mid-size" foldable phone launching in China the same week Apple is expected to reveal its own foldable iPhone. It features a 7.68-inch inner display and 5.38-inch outer display in a squished A4 aspect ratio, weighs just 219g, and pairs a distinctive asymmetric design with Xiaomi's first in-house flagship chip, marking a significant step in the company's push into custom silicon and foldable hardware.

Both screens use a new HyperRGB panel with 4,000 nits peak brightness and 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rates, housed in an aluminium frame with a redesigned three-link hinge. The phone runs on Xiaomi's XRING O3 chip, a 3nm processor claimed to be 45% faster at on-device decoding than its predecessor, and packs the largest battery yet seen in a foldable, supporting 67W wired and 50W wireless charging. It also includes a Leica triple-camera system with a 200MP main sensor, though Xiaomi has not disclosed an IP water-resistance rating. Prices start at 10,999 yuan (roughly $1,640), with black, white and red colour options, but availability is currently limited to China.