Xiaomi unveiled the 18 Fold on September 7, its first flagship smartphone powered by an in-house-designed processor, the Xring O3. Sales begin in China on September 10 at a starting price of 10,999 yuan (about $1,639).
The Xring O3 is built on a 3-nanometer process with 24 billion transistors, a 26% increase over its 2025 predecessor, the Xring O1. Xiaomi says CPU performance rose 60% while power consumption on certain tasks dropped 25%. The phone pairs the chip with LPDDR6 memory from Chinese manufacturer CXMT, a 7.58-inch inner display, a 6,000mAh battery, and a redesigned hinge, all inside a 5.02mm-thick, 219g body that Xiaomi calls its lightest foldable yet.
The launch is a strategic milestone for Chinese chip self-sufficiency, positioning Xiaomi as a direct competitor to Apple and Huawei in premium hardware just as Apple prepares its own foldable iPhone. CEO Lei Jun said the device was "built for durability," citing structural reinforcements to protect the folding display mechanism.