Just before Apple’s official announcement of a foldable iPhone, major Chinese companies announced a series of new foldable smartphones. Huawei’s Mate XT 2 and Xiaomi’s Xiaomi 18 Fold are expected to influence market trends following their announcements in China.
Just before Apple’s event, Huawei announced the tri-fold HUAWEI Mate XT 2. The phone adopts a dual-opening, tri-fold design and is the first to feature the Kirin 9050 Pro, with overall performance claimed to be up to 42% higher than that of the previous generation. Models with IP58/IP59 dust and water resistance and a privacy display are also available, along with comparisons to the previous model. The phone is scheduled to launch in China at prices starting at approximately ¥460,000.
Xiaomi also announced its new Xiaomi 18 Fold on the same day. It features a horizontally opening, wide-format design, and the actual device has already been exhibited at IFA2026. Pricing starts at approximately ¥250,000, and the phone is currently expected to launch only in China. Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun (雷軍) described the new form factor as “中折畳.”
Apple has announced that it will hold a special event at 10:00 a.m. local time on 9 September, with the announcement expected at 2:00 a.m. on 10 September Japan time. Industry observers expect Apple to announce a foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max, and attention is focused on whether the device will receive an official announcement at this time.