Xiaomi has announced its upcoming 18 Fold, a novel passport-shaped foldable device with Leica partnership, marking a strategic shift in design ahead of its 7 September China launch amid high-end hardware expectations.
Xiaomi has confirmed that its next foldable, the Xiaomi 18 Fold, will debut in China on 7 September. The device marks a clear shift in the company’s approach to foldables, with a wider, passport-style form factor rather than the taller, book-like shape seen on many rivals. Xiaomi has not said when, or if, the phone will reach India.
Official images published ahead of launch show the handset in a dark red finish, with more colour options expected later. Gizmochina reports that Xiaomi is calling the design a “mid-fold” layout, and says the phone will use an inward-folding screen arrangement. That makes it closer in concept to Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold series than to compact clamshell models.
The display hardware also appears set to be a major selling point. According to the leaked specifications cited by Gizmochina, the 18 Fold will carry a 5.38-inch cover screen and a 7.58-inch internal panel. The outer display should handle notifications, calls and everyday app use, while the larger inner screen is aimed at reading, entertainment and video playback.
On the back, Xiaomi is expected to use a horizontal camera bar with three lenses tuned in partnership with Leica. Gizmochina says the primary sensor will be 20 megapixels, although Xiaomi has not yet publicly detailed the full imaging hardware. The company has also highlighted a new “dragon bone” hinge and simulation-based durability testing, suggesting that reliability remains a key concern in a category still defined by thickness, folding stress and long-term wear.
The launch event on 7 September is also expected to showcase other devices, including the Xiaomi Pad 9 Pro Max. Gizmochina reports that the foldable and the tablet will be powered by Xiaomi’s Xring O3 chip, built on a 3nm process, alongside LPDDR6 memory from ChangXin Memory Technologies. If confirmed at launch, that would position the 18 Fold not just as a design refresh, but as part of a broader push into Xiaomi’s own high-end silicon and product ecosystem.
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