Huawei and Xiaomi Set the Foldable Agenda Before Apple’s Expected iPhone Debut

Huawei and Xiaomi did more than launch two expensive phones on September 7: they established competing definitions of premium foldables just before Apple’s expected September 9 event. Huawei made the case for maximum hardware ambition with a tri-fold tablet-phone; Xiaomi argued for a more conventional wide foldable at a far lower entry price. The timing made the contrast especially pointed as Apple prepared to enter—or was widely expected to enter—the category. 1730

Two launches, two approaches to premium foldables

Huawei Mate XT2: the tri-fold halo product

Huawei’s Mate XT2 is a dual-hinge tri-fold device: it folds twice and opens into a tablet-sized display. Reports identify it as Huawei’s second-generation tri-fold and say it uses the company’s Kirin 9050 Pro chip. Huawei was still the only major brand selling a tri-fold handset at the time of launch. 3617

The price confirms its positioning as an ultra-premium product rather than a mass-market device. In China, the Mate XT2 starts at 19,999 yuan (about $2,980) and rises to 24,999 yuan (about $3,725); sales were scheduled to begin September 12. 17

That price buys a distinctive proposition: a phone that can become a much larger work, video and reading screen. But it also exposes the category’s central challenge. Extra panels, hinges and flexible-display technology add cost and complexity, so the tri-fold’s appeal is likely to be strongest among buyers who value its unusual screen area more than price or simplicity.

Xiaomi 18 Fold: a wider book-style alternative

Xiaomi’s 18 Fold takes the more familiar inward-folding, book-style route. It is Xiaomi’s first wide-format foldable, with a 5.38-inch outer display and a 7.58-inch inner display, according to the company’s announced specifications reported by MacRumors. 30

Its Chinese pricing begins at 10,999 yuan (about $1,540) and tops out at 14,999 yuan (about $2,100)—well below the Mate XT2’s range. 17 That does not make it inexpensive, but it gives Xiaomi a clearer value argument: a large internal screen and flagship positioning without paying tri-fold-level prices.

Why the September 7 timing mattered

Launching two days before Apple’s event was a way to set reference points before Apple could define the conversation. Huawei showed that the most ambitious foldable hardware was already in market; Xiaomi set a lower premium benchmark for a wide foldable. 1730

The wider market is also moving toward these book-style designs. Counterpoint expected book-type models to account for 65% of global foldable shipments in 2026, up from 52% in 2025, as vendors prioritize larger-screen, higher-value devices. 9

Apple’s potential impact: category growth and share pressure

Before Apple’s event, its first foldable remained unannounced and its final specifications, price, availability and name were unverified. Reporting and market forecasts nevertheless treated an Apple foldable as a major potential catalyst for the segment. 12

Counterpoint’s latest September forecast projected Apple would capture 25% of global foldable shipments in 2026, behind Samsung at 38% and ahead of Huawei at 22%. The same outlook forecast 37% global foldable-market growth in 2027, driven by Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, broader Apple availability and Huawei’s future Pura X Max. 1

Those estimates should be read as forecasts rather than settled market outcomes. Earlier Counterpoint projections placed Samsung’s 2026 share at 32%, illustrating how assumptions about launches, supply and demand can materially change the expected split. 5

Still, the strategic implication is clear: Apple’s entry could do both of the following at once:

• Expand the category by making foldables more familiar to high-end smartphone buyers and increasing demand for larger, flexible displays.
• Concentrate demand around Apple, whose forecast 25% first-year share implies meaningful pressure on established Android foldable vendors. 15

China gives Huawei a stronger home-field position

Huawei entered this contest with a substantial domestic advantage. Counterpoint put its share of China’s overall smartphone market at 23% in Q2 2026, compared with 18% for Apple and 12% for Xiaomi. 43

Reuters, citing IDC and Smart Analytics Global, reported a closely aligned picture: Huawei held 22.6% of China’s smartphone market in the quarter and accounted for 68% of the country’s foldable shipments. 17 That strength matters because Huawei’s U.S. market access remains constrained by sanctions, increasing the importance of China and other accessible markets to its premium-device strategy. 23

The Mate XT2 therefore serves two purposes. It is a high-price showcase of Huawei’s engineering and chip development, but it is also a way to defend a valuable leadership position in China’s foldable market as Apple and Xiaomi target premium buyers.

The commercial test for all three companies

The Mate XT2, Xiaomi 18 Fold and a potential Apple foldable do not compete only on screen size or hinge design. They compete on whether buyers believe a flexible, larger display is useful enough to justify higher prices and added device complexity.

Huawei’s tri-fold is the clearest expression of innovation, but its nearly $3,000 entry price makes it a niche proposition. Xiaomi’s lower-priced wide foldable is easier to frame as a practical large-screen flagship. Apple, if it enters with a book-style device as expected in pre-event reporting, would face a market where Huawei already owns the extreme form factor and Xiaomi has already drawn a lower price line. 1730

The likely result is not a winner-take-all outcome. Apple could accelerate foldable adoption, particularly in markets where Huawei is limited, while Huawei’s domestic position and tri-fold differentiation give it a meaningful defensive advantage in China. Xiaomi’s opportunity is to convert buyers who want the benefits of a larger folding display without stepping into Huawei’s ultra-luxury price tier.