Xiaomi launches 18 Fold smartphone with 7.68-inch display and XRING 03 chip

Xiaomi has officially launched its first "mid-size" foldable smartphone, the Xiaomi 18 Fold, in China. The device features a 7.68-inch foldable display and a 5.38-inch outer display, both designed with an A4 aspect ratio for a seamless user experience. Weighing in at just 219 grams, it is the lightest foldable device the company has produced to date. The launch coincides with the anticipated announcement of Apple's first foldable device, making it a notable moment in the competitive smartphone market.

The Xiaomi 18 Fold distinguishes itself with a unique asymmetric design on the outer display, showcasing curved corners on one side and square corners on the hinge side. This design choice sets it apart from many other foldables that often have similar aesthetics. During a hands-on experience at IFA, the phone's robust build and striking red color caught attention. Both screens utilize Xiaomi's new HyperRGB panel technology, achieving impressive peak brightness levels of 4,000 nits and supporting adaptive refresh rates between 1-120Hz.

Under the hood, the Xiaomi 18 Fold is powered by the company's first in-house silicon chip, the XRING 03. Built on a 3nm process, this chip features a 10-core CPU and a 16-core GPU, promising significant performance enhancements. Xiaomi claims the XRING O3 offers 45% faster on-device decoding compared to previous models, and it supports the latest LPDDR6 RAM for improved memory access. The device also houses a high-capacity silicon-carbon battery, which is currently the largest available for foldable smartphones, supporting fast charging of up to 67W wired and 50W wireless.

Photography enthusiasts will appreciate the Leica triple-camera system, which includes a 200MP main sensor and a 50MP periscope telephoto camera. While there was limited opportunity for extensive camera testing, the expectation is that the camera performance will live up to the standards set by previous models like the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. As foldable smartphones gain traction, Xiaomi's entry into this segment with the 18 Fold could signify a shift in consumer preferences and set new benchmarks for design and performance in the industry.