News in Short

• Huawei and Xiaomi have launched new flagship foldable smartphones in China.
• Huawei introduced the Mate XT2 series, which folds twice into a tablet-sized display.
• The Mate XT2 starts at 19,999 yuan (around $2,980) and goes up to 24,999 yuan.
• Huawei’s new foldable uses the Kirin 9050 Pro chip and a redesigned hinge.
• Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 18 Fold, its most premium foldable yet.
• The Xiaomi 18 Fold starts at 10,999 yuan (around $1,540).
• Xiaomi’s foldable uses the company’s XRing O3 AI processor and CXMT memory.
• Both launches come ahead of Apple’s iPhone event on September 9, where Apple is also expected to unveil its first foldable.

Huawei and Xiaomi have unveiled their latest foldable smartphones in China as competition in the premium smartphone market heats up ahead of Apple’s upcoming launch event.

Huawei has introduced the Mate XT2 series, while Xiaomi has taken the wraps off the Xiaomi 18 Fold. Both companies are positioning their new devices as high-end alternatives in a market where foldable phones are becoming increasingly important.

The timing is also significant. Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhone lineup on September 9, with speculation pointing to the company’s first foldable iPhone making an appearance.

Huawei Mate XT2 pushes the tri-fold format

Huawei’s Mate XT2 continues the company’s focus on phones that can transform into tablet-sized devices.

The smartphone folds twice, allowing its display to expand significantly when fully opened. Huawei has also introduced a redesigned hinge and improved water resistance with the new generation.

Another notable feature is a privacy screen designed to prevent people nearby from viewing the display. This could be particularly useful when using a large foldable in public spaces.

The Mate XT2 series is powered by Huawei’s Kirin 9050 Pro chip. Huawei says its new chip architecture improves computing performance while reducing power consumption.

The company is also using an architecture called LogicFolding, which forms part of its broader Tau Scaling Law approach to chip development.

Huawei has priced the new foldable from 19,999 yuan, or approximately $2,980. The highest-end version costs 24,999 yuan, around $3,725.

Sales begin in China on September 12.

Xiaomi 18 Fold takes a different approach

Xiaomi is taking a more conventional approach to its new foldable, but the company is putting considerable emphasis on its compact design.

The Xiaomi 18 Fold uses what Xiaomi calls a “medium-fold solution”. When closed, the device is designed to retain a passport-like form factor. When opened, it can display three apps side by side.

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun also highlighted the phone’s weight and thickness during the launch. The handset weighs 219 grams and measures 5.02mm thick when unfolded, according to the company.

The phone is powered by Xiaomi’s in-house XRing O3 AI processor. Lei Jun claimed that it offers better responsiveness than Apple’s A19 Pro chip.

The Xiaomi 18 Fold also uses memory chips supplied by Chinese semiconductor company CXMT.

Pricing starts at 10,999 yuan, roughly $1,540. The top version costs 14,999 yuan, or around $2,100.

Apple is the next major player to watch

The launches from Huawei and Xiaomi come at an important time for the global smartphone market.

Apple is scheduled to hold its next iPhone launch event on September 9. Expectations are high that the company could introduce a foldable iPhone alongside its new smartphone lineup.

If that happens, Apple would enter a segment that already has established players in China and South Korea.

Huawei currently stands out as the only major company selling a tri-fold smartphone, according to the Reuters report. Samsung also entered the tri-fold category in December, although reports said it discontinued sales after around three months.

Samsung remains the world’s largest foldable smartphone vendor. The company also expanded its foldable portfolio in July with a passport-sized foldable.

Huawei remains strong in China’s foldable market

The latest launches also underline Huawei’s strong position in China’s smartphone market.

According to IDC data cited in the report, Huawei held a 22.6% share of China’s smartphone market in the second quarter. Apple followed with 18.1%, while Xiaomi accounted for 12.4%.

Huawei’s position is even stronger in the country’s foldable segment. Smart Analytics Global estimates that the company accounted for 68% of foldable smartphone shipments in China during Q2.

That makes the Mate XT2 launch particularly important as Xiaomi continues to push into the premium foldable category and Apple potentially prepares to enter the segment.

What this means for the foldable market

The arrival of the Mate XT2 and Xiaomi 18 Fold shows how quickly the foldable market is evolving.

Huawei is continuing to push the limits of the form factor with a tri-fold design. Xiaomi, meanwhile, is focusing on making a large-screen foldable more compact while adding its own processor technology.

Now, all eyes are on Apple.

If Apple launches a foldable iPhone this week, the company will enter a market where Huawei, Xiaomi and Samsung have already spent years developing different approaches to foldable hardware.

For consumers, that could mean an even more competitive premium foldable market, with design, durability, software and compactness becoming just as important as screen size.