Xiaomi 18 Fold takes centre stage at IFA with in-house XRing O3 silicon

Xiaomi is using IFA 2026 to give the public its first real-world look at the Xiaomi 18 Fold, a wide-format foldable that will launch in China on September 7. The device is especially significant because it is Xiaomi's first flagship smartphone powered by the company's next-generation XRing O3 processor. It will also use LPDDR6 memory from Chinese manufacturer CXMT, reinforcing Xiaomi's push toward greater control over critical semiconductor components.

The phone shown in Berlin features a wide folding design, triple rear cameras and a striking cherry-red finish. Xiaomi is presenting it alongside more than 380 products within a huge 'Human x Car x Home' ecosystem exhibit, underlining how the company increasingly sees phones as only one part of a broader connected platform. Foldable competition is also becoming more intense. Samsung already has its Galaxy Z Fold 8 generation on the market, while Apple is expected to enter the segment.

The 18 Fold therefore needs to compete on software, durability and ecosystem integration, not merely being another flexible-screen device.