Chinese tech giants Huawei and Xiaomi rolled out high-end foldable smartphones on Monday, timing their hardware releases in China to steal momentum just days before Apple is widely anticipated to unveil its first foldable iPhone at a product event on Wednesday, September 10, 2026.
Huawei and Xiaomi Strike With New Premium Foldables
Huawei and Xiaomi are ramping up pressure in China’s competitive smartphone market, launching flagship devices that push hardware boundaries in display technology, custom silicon, and battery capacity ahead of Apple’s anticipated foldable iPhone debut. Huawei debuted the Mate XT2 in Guangzhou, marking the third generation of its pioneering trifold design, while Xiaomi countered with the passport-sized Xiaomi 18 Fold at a separate event on Monday.
The timing is strategic. Both manufacturers executed their rollouts just two days before Apple’s scheduled Wednesday presentation to secure consumer attention and market buzz. Industry analysts note that established vendors are deliberately getting ahead of the curve so that local buyers have domestic hardware available to compare the moment Apple products hit retail shelves.
“This is not an innocent decision by these vendors. They knew Apple was coming up with a foldable, so they’re trying to get ahead and, more importantly, trying to make sure that when the Apple products hit the stores, their product is there so consumers can compare.”
Inside the Huawei Mate XT2 and Xiaomi 18 Fold Hardware
The Mate XT2 retains Huawei’s signature dual-hinge, trifold architecture, folding both halves of its expansive 10.2-inch interior LTPO AMOLED display inward to protect the flexible panel and create a natural 6.5-inch exterior screen experience. Weighing 299 grams and measuring 12.3 mm thick when folded, the device thins down to between 3.5 and 4 mm when fully unfolded. Huawei also integrated a privacy display mode that narrows the viewing angles of the entire screen at the touch of a button to block sightlines from curious bystanders. Powered by the in-house Kirin 9050 Pro processor, the Mate XT2 packs a 5,600mAh battery supporting 66W wired and 50W wireless charging, alongside IP59-rated dust and water resistance and ECG measurements using its metal frame as an electrode.
Photo: tech.yahoo.com
Xiaomi took a different design path with the 18 Fold, presenting a book-style, passport-sized handset that measures 5.02 mm thick when unfolded and weighs 219 grams while supporting three applications simultaneously on its screen. The device features a 5.38-inch cover display and a 7.58-inch main AMOLED panel, both hitting 120Hz refresh rates and 4,000 nits of peak brightness. Under the hood, Xiaomi fitted the phone with its ARM-based Xring O3 AI processor and DRAM memory chips supplied by Chinese chipmaker CXMT while housing a 6,000mAh battery with 67W wired and 50W wireless charging.
Pricing Pressures and Domestic Semiconductor Strategy
Both companies acknowledged that surging component costs have complicated manufacturing economics in the premium segment. Huawei Executive Director Richard Yu pointed out at a press conference that rising memory prices created enormous cost pressure alongside new technology adoption. The Mate XT2 starts at CNY 19,999 (approximately $2,980) for the 16GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration, while top-tier options featuring 1TB of storage and the privacy display reach CNY 24,999 (approximately $3,725) with commercial availability beginning September 12.
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“Pricing right now is a real challenge, because memory costs have risen sharply. We adopted a lot of new technology, and the cost pressure has been enormous.”
Photo: vietnamnet.vn
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun defended the valuation of his company’s flagship, acknowledging that memory components remain exceptionally expensive while positioning the hardware as value for money. The Xiaomi 18 Fold starts at CNY 10,999 (about $1,540) with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, scaling up to CNY 14,999 (about $2,100) for the 16GB RAM and 1TB configuration in Chinese markets.
Crucially, both devices highlight an accelerating push toward domestic supply chains. Huawei’s Kirin 9050 Pro is manufactured using a semiconductor technique called LogicFolding within its Tau Scaling Law framework designed to move electrical signals on a chip that bar American software and technology partners from working with the firm. Xiaomi similarly relied on domestic memory from CXMT and its own Xring O3 silicon to reduce reliance on foreign chipmakers.
Market Dominance in China Versus Global Ambitions
The race underscores how vital foldable smartphones have become for Chinese manufacturers facing broader market contraction. In the second quarter of 2026, Huawei led China’s overall smartphone sector with a 22.6% market share, outpacing Apple at 18.1% and Xiaomi at 12.4%, according to consulting firm IDC data. Within the foldable category specifically, Huawei’s grip is considerably tighter, commanding roughly 68% of shipments in China during the same quarter per Smart Analytics Global figures. U.S. markets remain entirely closed to Huawei products due to national security designations imposed by Washington.
Meanwhile, global industry watchers expect Apple’s entry into the foldable arena to reshape competitive dynamics. Counterpoint Research projects that Apple could ship 6 million foldable iPhones globally this year, capturing a 25% share of the worldwide foldable market that could climb to 40% by 2027.
What Lies Ahead as Apple Prepares Its Debut
Industry experts suggest that aspiring consumers within China’s massive installed base will closely watch Apple’s unveiling on Wednesday. Neil Shah, a partner at Counterpoint Research, noted that significant pent-up demand exists within the Apple community for a flexible device, meaning local vendors must establish strong brand presence now before global alternatives capture consumer awareness.
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