Xiaomi has shown its new Xiaomi 18 Fold at IFA 2026 in Berlin ahead of its China launch. New foldable phone will compete with Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and other foldable phones that use a wide body design.
Xiaomi 18 Fold will launch in China on September 7, 2026. Xiaomi has also confirmed that phone will use its own XRing O3 chip. Phone will also become first smartphone to use CXMT LPDDR6 memory.
IFA 2026 gave visitors a first public look at Xiaomi 18 Fold. Phone was placed behind glass, so visitors could not hold or test phone. However, display unit gave a clear view of design, screen size, camera setup and red finish.
Xiaomi 18 Fold uses a short and wide design
Xiaomi 18 Fold uses a short and wide body. Xiaomi calls this design “mid-fold.” Closed phone has a shape close to a passport, rather than a tall phone shape used by many earlier book-style foldable phones.
Phone has a 5.38-inch cover screen. Opening phone reveals a 7.58-inch folding screen.
This design can make phone easier to use with one hand when closed. Short body can also make phone easier to place in a trouser pocket.
Xiaomi has used rounded corners on 18 Fold. This design can also help phone fit in a hand during use. Cover screen has an unusual shape because of body design. One side looks more square, while other side uses rounded corners.
Screen bezels look thin, while crease on inner screen was hard to see from most viewing angles at IFA. Since visitors could not touch phone, more details about screen feel and hinge will need to wait until launch and hands-on tests.
Inner screen also has a punch-hole cutout in upper right area for a selfie camera.
Red finish stands out at IFA 2026
Xiaomi displayed 18 Fold in a red finish. Photos from earlier leaks already showed red color, but IFA display gave a better view of how color looks in person.
Phone uses a horizontal pill-shaped camera module on rear panel. Module has three camera lenses and a flash.
Camera text shows a focal range from 17mm to 80mm. This points to a setup with main, ultrawide and telephoto camera.
Xiaomi 18 Fold camera setup
Xiaomi 18 Fold is expected to use a Leica camera system. Available information points to three rear cameras.
Main camera can use an f/1.7 lens. Telephoto camera can use an f/2.8 lens with 3.5x zoom. An ultrawide camera can offer a 17mm focal length.
Phone also has a selfie camera on inner screen. Another front camera sits on cover screen.
Earlier information also points to a 200MP main rear camera. Xiaomi has not yet shared every camera detail, so some camera information can remain subject to change before launch.
XRing O3 powers Xiaomi 18 Fold
Xiaomi has confirmed that 18 Fold will use XRing O3, a chip made by Xiaomi for its flagship phones.
XRing O3 uses a 3nm process from TSMC. Xiaomi is using its own chip instead of depending only on Qualcomm or MediaTek for flagship phone hardware.
XRing O3 also plays an important role in Xiaomi’s memory plan. 18 Fold will pair chip with new LPDDR6 memory from Chinese memory maker CXMT.
Xiaomi 18 Fold will become first smartphone to ship with CXMT LPDDR6 memory.
LPDDR6 memory brings higher bandwidth
CXMT has confirmed that LPDDR6 memory has entered mass production. Xiaomi 18 Fold will use this memory along with XRing O3.
CXMT LPDDR6 can reach up to 12,800 MT/s. Memory standard can support speeds up to 14,400 MT/s.
LPDDR6 also uses a wider 24-bit interface. This can increase memory throughput compared with LPDDR5X.
Higher memory bandwidth can help with tasks that need fast data movement. On-device AI and graphics can benefit from higher memory bandwidth.
Xiaomi Pad 9 Pro Max is also expected to use LPDDR6 memory with XRing O3. This means Xiaomi plans to bring new memory technology to more than one device during its September launch event.
Xiaomi 18 Fold may offer up to 16GB RAM
Geekbench information shared before launch points to up to 16GB RAM on Xiaomi 18 Fold. Listings also point to Android 17.
Xiaomi has not yet shared complete memory and storage options. More details should appear around launch.
Earlier leaks also point to a 6,000mAh battery with wireless charging. Xiaomi has not confirmed these battery details yet.
Xiaomi 18 Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold8 design
Xiaomi 18 Fold arrives after Samsung moves toward a wider foldable design with Galaxy Z Fold8.
Galaxy Z Fold8 has a 5.5-inch cover screen and a 7.6-inch inner screen. Xiaomi uses a 5.38-inch cover screen and a 7.58-inch inner screen.
Both phones use a short and wide approach when compared with older tall foldable models.
Wide foldable phones can offer a more useful screen shape for video and other content. Closed phone can also take less vertical space in a pocket.
Samsung used a tall cover screen on earlier Galaxy Z Fold models. Xiaomi now joins Samsung with a wider design approach.
Apple is also expected to show its first foldable iPhone on September 9, 2026. Apple phone is also rumored to use a wide foldable shape.
Xiaomi calls design “mid-fold”
Xiaomi has its own name for this type of foldable. Company calls 18 Fold a “mid-fold.”
Design sits between a book-style foldable and a flip phone. When closed, phone has a short body. When open, phone offers a large screen for video, apps and other tasks.
OPPO helped bring short foldable design into focus with Find N in 2021. Google later used a similar passport-style shape with Pixel Fold.
Samsung stayed with a taller cover screen for several generations before moving toward a wider shape with Galaxy Z Fold8.
Xiaomi now joins this shift with 18 Fold.
Xiaomi 18 Fold launch date
Xiaomi will launch 18 Fold in China on September 7, 2026.
Phone will launch alongside Xiaomi Pad 9 Pro Max. Xiaomi will also introduce its new extended-range SUV models during same event.
18 Fold will also mark a change in Xiaomi foldable naming. Previous Xiaomi foldable phones used Mix Fold branding. New phone uses “18 Fold,” connecting foldable line with Xiaomi’s numbered flagship phone series.
Will Xiaomi 18 Fold launch outside China?
Xiaomi has not sold its foldable phone line outside China since first Mix Fold arrived in 2021.
Based on current information, Xiaomi 18 Fold will remain a China-only phone. Buyers in other markets may still find phone through import sellers, but official global launch has not been confirmed.
Xiaomi 18 Fold expected specs
| Feature | Xiaomi 18 Fold |
|---|---|
| Launch date | September 7, 2026 |
| Launch market | China |
| Cover screen | 5.38-inch |
| Inner screen | 7.58-inch |
| Design | Short and wide mid-fold |
| Main chip | Xiaomi XRing O3 |
| Chip process | 3nm TSMC |
| RAM | Up to 16GB expected |
| Memory | CXMT LPDDR6 |
| Memory speed | Up to 12,800 MT/s with XRing O3 |
| Rear camera | Triple camera |
| Main camera | 200MP rumored |
| Main lens | f/1.7 expected |
| Telephoto | 3.5x, f/2.8 expected |
| Ultrawide | 17mm expected |
| Battery | 6,000mAh rumored |
| Charging | Wireless charging rumored |
| Fingerprint sensor | Side-mounted |
| Software | Android 17 expected |
| Foldable name | Xiaomi 18 Fold |
Xiaomi 18 Fold could bring a new direction for foldable phones
Xiaomi 18 Fold brings a mix of new hardware and a different foldable shape. Short body, 5.38-inch cover screen and 7.58-inch inner screen put phone close to passport-style foldable phones.
XRing O3 is another major part of phone. Xiaomi uses own 3nm chip and pairs chip with CXMT LPDDR6 memory. This makes 18 Fold an important phone for Xiaomi’s own chip and memory development.
Camera setup also gets focus with a triple rear camera system, Leica branding, telephoto zoom and ultrawide camera. A 200MP main camera is also part of current leak information.
Xiaomi will reveal full details on September 7 in China. Until then, battery capacity, camera sensor details, RAM and storage options may remain unconfirmed.
With Samsung already moving toward a wide foldable design and Apple expected to show its first foldable iPhone soon, Xiaomi 18 Fold arrives at a time when short and wide foldable phones are gaining more attention.
