First reviews of the Xiaomi 18 Fold: successful form factor and noticeable crease

Journalists got a chance to briefly test the Xiaomi 18 Fold after its presentation. First impressions were mostly positive: reviewers praised most the short and wide body, the 6000 mAh battery, and the full triple camera system with a periscope telephoto lens.

The main caveats so far concern the noticeable screen crease, slightly greater thickness compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and lack of sales outside China. It is too early to consider these materials full reviews: journalists were not given enough time to test battery life, cameras, and performance.

Wide, comfortable body

The Xiaomi 18 Fold measures 117,8 × 83,6 × 10,68 mm and weighs 219 grams when folded. The external display has a diagonal of 5.38 inches, while the internal one is 7.58 inches. Both displays have an aspect ratio of approximately √2:1, making the smartphone noticeably shorter and wider than most book-style foldable models.

These are the proportions most often noted by journalists. Android Central writes that the elements of the 5.38-inch external display are easily reachable with one hand, and after unfolding, the device feels more like a small tablet.

Android Authority also notes that the Xiaomi 18 Fold is shorter and wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, while its more rounded corners make the body appear visually less bulky. Several publications separately praised the red version of the smartphone.

At the same time, Xiaomi did not chase minimal thickness at any cost. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 weighs 201 grams and has a thickness of 9.7 mm when folded, compared to 219 grams and 10.68 mm for Xiaomi. Android Central notes that in direct comparison, the weight difference is barely noticeable.

Noticeable crease on the display

The internal display uses two-layer glass UTG. According to Android Central, the crease is clearly visible due to the screen’s reflective surface, though it is barely noticeable when touched. Yanko Design’s author reached a similar conclusion: the fold line is not too conspicuous when viewed straight ahead but becomes more noticeable at an angle.

When compared side by side with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, a Yanko Design journalist found the Samsung display visually brighter. This is purely a subjective impression indoors, not a measurement result: Xiaomi states a peak brightness of up to 4000 nits for both screens at APL 30%.

Cameras and battery

The additional thickness allowed for the installation of a 6000 mAh silicon-carbon battery with 67 W wired charging and 50 W wireless charging. For comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is equipped with a 4800 mAh battery. However, it is too early to draw conclusions about battery life based solely on capacity: journalists have not conducted comprehensive usage time tests.

The rear panel features three Leica cameras. The main camera is equipped with a 200-MP Samsung HP5 sensor of 1/1,56-inch format, an equivalent focal length of 23 mm, an f/1.7 aperture, and optical stabilization. Complementing it are a 50-MP ultra-wide-angle camera with a 17 mm focal length and a 50-MP periscope camera with an 80 mm equivalent, OIS, and 3.5x optical zoom.

The periscope lens especially sets the Xiaomi 18 Fold apart from two other wide-fold smartphones. The standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 is limited to a main and an ultra-wide camera, while the recently unveiled iPhone Duo also lacks a dedicated telephoto lens and offers 2x zoom via its 48-MP main camera.

At the same time, journalists were largely unable to verify the Xiaomi 18 Fold’s camera quality. Android Central was not allowed to keep their own photos, while Android Authority limited its review to examining the camera interface. Therefore, the specifications look promising, but it is too early to draw conclusions about image quality.

XRing O3

Xiaomi 18 Fold is the first to use Xiaomi’s new proprietary 3nm XRing O3 processor. It includes a 10-core CPU and 16-core Arm G2-Ultra NX graphics. The latter supports image neural upscaling technologies, and in the future, the platform should receive frame generation and other graphics acceleration methods.

The smartphone is offered with 12 or 16 GB of RAM and a UFS 4.1 storage drive up to 1 TB. Versions up to 512 GB use LPDDR5X, while LPDDR6 is installed only in the 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage variants. Journalists were unable to conduct full tests on the XRing O3, so Xiaomi’s claims about performance gains still require independent verification.

HyperOS 4 supports splitting the internal display between apps and floating windows. The Verge notes that no unusual software capabilities fundamentally distinguishing Xiaomi from other modern foldable smartphones were discovered during the initial encounter.

There is body protection

Some materials published shortly after IFA 2026 criticized Xiaomi for lacking a stated protection rating. After the official presentation, this point is no longer relevant: the Xiaomi 18 Fold meets IP58 and IP59 standards, meaning it has protection against dust, water immersion, and high-pressure water jets. Likely, at the time of the closed demonstrations, Xiaomi simply had not yet disclosed this specification to journalists.

Price and availability

Sales of the Xiaomi 18 Fold in China began on September 10. The base version with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage costs 10,999 yuan (≈ $1640), while the 16 GB + 1 TB version with LPDDR6 is priced at 14,999 yuan (≈ $2236). A limited ceramic edition with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage costs 15,999 yuan (≈ $2385) and was released in a run of 1,500 units.

The official launch of the Xiaomi 18 Fold in Europe has not yet been announced. Availability remains the main practical limitation of the device: reviewers mostly praise the form factor and hardware, but for buyers outside China, it currently serves more as a demonstration of Xiaomi’s capabilities than a direct alternative to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo.