I Actually Really Like Xiaomi’s Folding iPhone Ultra Rival

Xiaomi took the wraps off its new foldable phone at IFA in Berlin and while I could only see it on a stand behind glass at first, I later managed to actually get my hands on the thing and have a brief play. It’s a nice-feeling foldable with a passport-style foldable that I absolutely love. Problem is, it’s got some stiff competition from both Samsung and Apple. According to most rumors, Apple will be unveiling its first folding iPhone, likely named the iPhone Ultra, at its event on Sept. 9. Those same rumors suggest that Apple’s foldable will also have a passport-style design that’s short and squat when closed but opens out into a wider format that’s great for watching videos. Xiaomi’s foldable next to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8. Xiaomi’s is a little smaller.Andrew Lanxon/CNET Neither are the first to the game; Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 launched earlier in the summer sporting a passport-style design that CNET’s Abrar Al-Heeti liked enough to give a CNET Editors’ Choice award to. Xiaomi’s phone is in a similar vein to Samsung’s. It’s squat, with a 5.38-inch outer display that unfolds to reveal a 7.58-inch inner display. I agree totally with Abrar when she said that this form factor is “refreshing” and “fun.” The inner display looked bright and vibrant (at least, under the dim overhead office lights of my demo room) and the crease was barely noticeable. I recently reviewed Samsung’s book-style folding Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and I prefer the more passport style for its wider aspect ratio inner display. It just feels more natural. You can prop it open like this.Andrew Lanxon/CNET Xiaomi says its custom hinge uses a “three-link” design for added strength and durability. I honestly can’t speak to that in my brief hands on time but it did feel satisfying to open, with it also being able to hold its position so you can half open it and prop it open. It’s the first phone the company has released using its own in-house XRing 03 processor, which Xiaomi claims is as powerful as any other flagship chip right now — presumably including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite found in Samsung’s Galaxy phones. It’s an interesting move to see the company build its own silicon from scratch. Both Apple and Google have done similar things and clearly Xiaomi agrees this is the way to have better control of all aspects of the product. How it performs on benchmarks remains to be seen. I love that red color.Andrew Lanxon/CNET Other specs include a 200 megapixel main camera along with a 50 megapixel telephoto camera and a 6,000mAh silicon carbon battery. Solid specs, for sure, but I’ll have to reserve judgement on how these perform for when I get a model in my hands for some real testing. But I’m impressed by the Xiaomi 18 Fold. It feels like one of the most sophisticated foldables the company has produced and I find that passport format much more intriguing than the more typical book- or flip-style of its previous foldables. The wider format when open gives more space for videos.Andrew Lanxon/CNET Xiaomi has yet to say whether the phone will go on sale outside of mainland China, but I really hope it does. Xiaomi doesn’t officially sell any of its phones in the US, so don’t expect it there at any point, but I’ll keep my tea-stained British fingers crossed that I get a model at some point. Editors’ note: Andrew Lanxon’s travel costs for the IFA conference were covered by Xiaomi. The judgments and opinions of CNET are our own. When he's not testing the latest phones or phone cameras, Andrew can normally be found with his own camera in hand or behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food -- sometimes all at once. See full bio