Xiaomi is preparing for a battle with the foldable iPhone. It will bet on a wide foldable

The foldable market is heading in one direction this year: towards a wide format that, when unfolded, resembles a tablet more than an elongated rectangle. Huawei was the pioneer with its Pura X Max, and according to speculation, Samsung and Apple are also preparing similar devices. Now it looks like Xiaomi will also enter the game. A fresh leak from HyperOS suggests that the Chinese brand is working on its own wide foldable, which it could position directly against the first foldable iPhone.

What the HyperOS leak revealed

The source of speculation is images discovered in a new version of the Xiaomi Hyper Launcher application. Some enthusiasts managed to place the leaked interface on Huawei Pura X Max renders, and the result fits surprisingly well. This doesn’t confirm anything on its own, but it aligns with earlier leaks that Xiaomi is moving towards a wider and more compact format.

Xiaomi skipped a direct successor to the 2024 Mix Fold 4 model last year, and the new foldable should fill this gap. Its name is not yet clear. The designations Xiaomi Mix Fold 5 and Xiaomi 18 Fold appear in leaks, and some sources still mention Xiaomi 17 Fold.

Possible specifications and availability

According to current speculation, the phone is to be powered by its own Xring O3 chipset, which is another sign that Xiaomi is pushing for the development of key technologies in-house. Photography should be handled by a trio of Leica cameras led by a 200Mpx main sensor. Leaks also mention improved multitasking in HyperOS and a more sophisticated hinge mechanism.

The premiere could take place in China around August 2026, but global availability is not yet confirmed and is usually problematic for Xiaomi foldables. Furthermore, take everything with a grain of salt: the brand has not officially acknowledged the new device, and specifications may change before launch.

Would a wide foldable from Xiaomi be worth your attention?

Sources: Notebookcheck, Gizmochina, Weibo