Xiaomi 18 Fold begins Chinese availability

Xiaomi's 18 Fold begins its Chinese market availability around September 10 following its September 7 announcement. The passport-style foldable uses a 7.58-inch internal AMOLED display and Xiaomi's internally developed XRing O3 processor. A 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery supports 67W wired and 50W wireless charging, while the Leica-developed camera system is led by a 200-megapixel main sensor.

The phone can display three applications simultaneously when unfolded, demonstrating Xiaomi's focus on making the larger display useful for multitasking rather than simply media consumption. Chinese pricing starts at 10,999 yuan and rises considerably for higher-end variants. Apple entering the category with iPhone Duo this week makes Xiaomi's timing particularly interesting. Even if 18 Fold remains China-focused initially, Apple is likely to increase worldwide interest in the passport-shaped foldable format.

Xiaomi now has to demonstrate that its own software and silicon integration can compete with Apple's highly controlled ecosystem.