Apple is about to enter one of the smartphone industry’s most competitive categories, and Huawei and Xiaomi have made sure it won’t be arriving to an empty market.
Just days before Apple’s September 9 product event, Huawei launched the Mate XT2 while Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 18 Fold, giving consumers two new high-end alternatives as Apple prepares to potentially introduce its first foldable iPhone.
The timing is significant. Huawei and Xiaomi are not simply releasing new phones; they are demonstrating how far foldable hardware has already evolved before Apple enters the category.
Reuters reported that Huawei’s Mate XT2 launched on September 7, while Xiaomi unveiled its competing foldable later the same day. Apple’s event is scheduled for September 9, where the company is widely expected to reveal a foldable model.
Huawei Mate XT2 Pushes the Tri-Fold Form Factor Further
Huawei’s Mate XT2 is the more unconventional of the two new devices.
It is a tri-fold smartphone that folds twice and can expand into a tablet-sized display. Huawei’s latest model uses the company’s new Kirin 9050 Pro processor and introduces a redesigned folding mechanism, improved water resistance and an optional privacy-focused display.
Huawei has priced the Mate XT2 firmly in the ultra-premium category.
Pricing starts at 19,999 yuan, roughly $2,980, while the highest configuration reaches 24,999 yuan, or about $3,725. Sales in China are scheduled to begin September 12.
The price demonstrates just how far Huawei is willing to push the limits of foldable hardware.
Rather than competing only on a conventional book-style design, Huawei is betting that consumers will pay more for a phone that can transform into something closer to a compact tablet.
Huawei Has a Major Advantage in China’s Foldable Market
Huawei’s timing is particularly important because the company already has a powerful position in China’s premium foldable market.
According to Reuters, Huawei accounted for approximately 68% of China’s foldable-phone shipments in the second quarter of 2026.
That gives Huawei an established customer base and significant experience with foldable hardware.
Its challenge is maintaining that advantage as Apple enters the category.
Apple has enormous brand recognition in China, but Huawei already has a head start in foldable devices. That means Apple’s first foldable iPhone will have to convince existing premium-phone customers that its approach is better, not simply newer.
Xiaomi 18 Fold Takes a Different Approach
Xiaomi is attacking the same market from another direction.
The Xiaomi 18 Fold uses a wide book-style foldable design rather than Huawei’s tri-fold approach. It features a 5.38-inch outer display and 7.58-inch inner display, with both screens using 120Hz LTPO technology and up to 4,000 nits peak brightness.
Xiaomi is also emphasizing its own silicon.
The 18 Fold is the first flagship to use Xiaomi’s Xring O3 chip, which the company says improves CPU and GPU performance while reducing power consumption compared with its predecessor. The chip also includes a dedicated NPU rated at 200 TOPS.
The hardware package is aggressive.
Xiaomi has included a 6,000mAh battery, 67W wired charging, 50W wireless charging and a Leica-developed triple-camera system led by a 200-megapixel main sensor.
Pricing begins at 10,999 yuan, significantly below the Mate XT2 and below the expected price range of Apple’s first foldable.
Xiaomi Is Showing Apple What Premium Foldable Hardware Looks Like
The Xiaomi 18 Fold creates a different kind of pressure for Apple.
Apple is expected to enter the category at a premium price, with reports pointing to a price above $2,000. That means consumers will be able to compare Apple’s ecosystem and software experience against Android foldables that already offer impressive hardware specifications.
Xiaomi’s approach makes the comparison particularly interesting.
The 18 Fold combines a large internal display, high brightness, a large battery, fast charging, a high-resolution camera system and custom silicon.
Apple does not necessarily need to beat every specification.
Instead, its challenge will be demonstrating why the complete iPhone experience justifies a potentially much higher price.
Apple’s Biggest Advantage May Not Be Hardware
Apple is arriving late to the foldable smartphone market.
Samsung introduced its first commercial foldable smartphones years ago, while Huawei and other Chinese manufacturers have already released multiple generations.
But Apple has historically shown that entering a category late does not automatically mean losing.
The company’s advantage is its ecosystem.
A foldable iPhone could connect the large-screen experience to iOS, iCloud, Apple Watch, AirPods, Mac and the company’s broader software ecosystem.
For existing iPhone users, that integration could be more important than having the largest battery or the highest camera megapixel count.
The question is whether Apple can make the foldable experience feel sufficiently different and useful to justify moving away from a conventional iPhone.
The Foldable iPhone Is Expected to Be Apple’s Ultra-Premium Bet
Apple’s upcoming foldable has been widely reported as a premium device that could cost more than $2,000.
Reuters reported that Wall Street expects Apple to unveil a high-end foldable iPhone under new CEO John Ternus, with analysts seeing potentially significant revenue opportunities if the product succeeds.
The device is expected to use a wide book-style design rather than a tri-fold configuration.
Reports also suggest Apple has been focusing heavily on hinge durability and reducing the visible crease.
However, these details remain expectations until Apple officially confirms them.
That distinction matters because Apple’s September 9 event is the point at which speculation will finally be separated from confirmed product information.
Apple Is Entering a Market That Has Already Matured
Apple’s biggest challenge may be that foldables are no longer an experimental category.
Huawei has already produced multiple generations of foldable hardware.
Xiaomi has refined its book-style designs.
Samsung has reached its eighth-generation Fold family.
That means Apple is not going to receive unlimited credit simply for making a foldable iPhone.
Consumers will compare it against products that have already gone through years of hardware iteration.
The advantage for Apple is that it has had years to observe those competitors.
Instead of being first, Apple can potentially enter after the industry’s biggest weaknesses have become obvious.
China Could Be Apple’s Most Important Foldable Test
The Chinese market could become one of the most important battlegrounds.
Huawei remains extremely strong in China’s premium smartphone and foldable markets, while Xiaomi is also aggressively developing domestic hardware and software.
Reuters reported that Huawei held a 22.6% overall smartphone share in China during Q2 2026, compared with 18.1% for Apple and 12.4% for Xiaomi.
That makes the foldable category more than a global technology story.
It is also a direct test of Apple’s ability to regain momentum in one of the world’s most important smartphone markets.
If Apple can persuade Chinese consumers to move toward a $2,000-plus foldable iPhone, the device could become a major premium-product success.
If not, Huawei and Xiaomi already have products positioned to absorb that demand.
Huawei, Xiaomi and Apple Represent Three Different Foldable Strategies
The emerging competition is becoming easier to understand when the three companies are compared by philosophy.
Huawei: Push the physical form factor with a tri-fold design and tablet-sized display.
Xiaomi: Combine aggressive hardware specifications, custom silicon and a more conventional wide-folding design.
Apple: Potentially combine foldable hardware with the iOS ecosystem, premium industrial design and long-term software integration.
None of these strategies is guaranteed to win.
Huawei’s tri-fold design provides a unique large-screen experience, but it comes with extreme pricing.
Xiaomi offers an aggressive specification package, but its international availability for the 18 Fold has not been confirmed.
Apple has the ecosystem advantage, but it will have to justify a premium price while entering the market years after its competitors.
The Foldable Smartphone Race Is Entering a New Phase
The significance of this week’s launches goes beyond three individual phones.
For years, foldables were treated as a niche experiment.
Now major manufacturers are competing over different interpretations of what a premium foldable should be.
Huawei is pushing multi-fold displays.
Xiaomi is optimizing the wide book-style design.
Apple is preparing to bring the category into its largest consumer ecosystem.
That competition could accelerate improvements in displays, hinges, battery technology, cameras and software.
It could also push foldables further into the mainstream.
Apple Now Has to Prove Why Its Foldable Is Worth the Wait
Huawei and Xiaomi have created an unusually difficult environment for Apple’s first foldable iPhone.
The Mate XT2 demonstrates that tri-fold smartphones can continue evolving.
The Xiaomi 18 Fold shows how competitive wide-format foldables have become.
And both devices are already available as real products while Apple’s foldable remains an expected announcement ahead of its September 9 event.
Apple’s late entry could still become an advantage if the company delivers a refined design, strong durability, excellent software and seamless ecosystem integration.
But the bar is now much higher.
Apple isn’t entering the foldable market to teach consumers what a foldable phone is.
It is entering a market where Huawei, Xiaomi and Samsung have already spent years teaching them.
That makes the September 9 launch one of Apple’s most important product tests in years — especially under new CEO John Ternus.
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FAQ
When did Huawei launch the Mate XT2?
Huawei unveiled the Mate XT2 on September 7, 2026, ahead of Apple’s September 9 product event. Sales in China are scheduled to begin September 12.
What makes the Huawei Mate XT2 different?
The Mate XT2 is a tri-fold smartphone that folds twice and expands into a tablet-sized display. It also uses Huawei’s Kirin 9050 Pro chip and a redesigned folding mechanism.
What is the Xiaomi 18 Fold?
The Xiaomi 18 Fold is a wide-format book-style foldable smartphone with a 7.58-inch internal display and 5.38-inch external display. It uses Xiaomi’s Xring O3 chip and a 6,000mAh battery.
How much does the Xiaomi 18 Fold cost?
The Xiaomi 18 Fold starts at 10,999 yuan in China, with higher configurations reaching 14,999 yuan. A limited Ceramic Special Edition is priced higher.
How much does the Huawei Mate XT2 cost?
Huawei’s Mate XT2 starts at 19,999 yuan and reaches 24,999 yuan for the highest configuration.
Is Apple launching a foldable iPhone?
Apple is widely expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone at its September 9, 2026 event, but the company has not confirmed the product before the event.
Will Apple’s foldable iPhone be more expensive?
Reports and analyst expectations suggest Apple’s first foldable could cost more than $2,000, placing it firmly in the ultra-premium smartphone category. The final price needs to be confirmed by Apple.
Does Huawei dominate China’s foldable market?
According to Reuters, Huawei held approximately 68% of China’s foldable smartphone shipments in Q2 2026.
Is the Xiaomi 18 Fold available globally?
Xiaomi has not confirmed global availability for the 18 Fold. Its previous Mix Fold models remained China-exclusive.
Why are Huawei and Xiaomi important for Apple’s foldable launch?
Both companies are releasing advanced foldables immediately before Apple’s expected entry, giving consumers established alternatives and raising expectations for Apple’s first-generation device.
