Xiaomi 18 Fold is an iPhone Duo twin with one larger edge

Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo won’t even launch until October 23, but it already has a doppelganger. That’s because the iPhone Duo wasn’t the only short and wide foldable device announced this week.

Just a couple of days before Apple’s big event where the Duo was announced alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and other devices, Xiaomi launched its own competitor, according to PhoneArena. It’s called Xiaomi 18 Fold and as you can see in the photos, it looks many like iPhone Duo. It replaces the square corners of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which launched in the summer, with the rounded edges and D-shape of the Duo.

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Reports leading up to the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 suggested that Samsung chose this form factor because of what Apple was doing, and it’s possible that Xiaomi did the same. The phone is unlikely to be released outside of China, but here are some specs if you’re interested:

• Display: 7.58″ main display and 5.38″ overlay display

• CPU: XRING O3

• RAM: 12/16 GB

• Storage: 256/512 GB/1 TB

• Battery: 6000 mAh

• Cameras: Main 200 MP, ultra-wide-angle 50 MP, telephoto 50 MP

The Xiaomi 18 Fold also has one big potential advantage over the iPhone Duo. It has three cameras (including a true telephoto lens and a 200MP main camera) and these are Leica cameras.

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These are pretty decent specs for a phone that costs around $1,600 in China, but again, you’ll never be able to buy one in the States without importing it. This will certainly increase the cost of the iPhone Duo, so at this point you might just want to buy one of Apple’s or Samsung’s foldable devices.

However, the device could compete with Apple when the iPhone Duo launches in China.

Clearly, this particular form factor is now officially a reality.

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If the $1,999 iPhone Duo isn’t in your budget, now is a great time to take advantage of discounts on previous-generation iPhones and Android devices.