The Xiaomi 18 Fold has leaked in real-world images, giving us our clearest look yet at the foldable's back panel design. It looks like Samsung's wide Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the upcoming Apple iPhone Ultra will get some serious competition from it.
Unlike earlier leaks (via Gizmochina) that kept the camera module hidden, these new images from tipster Peter on Wiebo reveal the Xiaomi 18 Fold's rear camera island in full. It shows what appears to be a triple-camera setup in a dark red finish.
Additionally, the images include a top-down view of the wide foldable, though the back is covered by a colour-matched case in that particular shot. Notably, the tipster suggests that this could be an early engineering unit of the Xiaomi 18 Fold rather than a final production model.
The tipster also commented that the design looks rough enough that a mass-production version surely wouldn't look this unfinished. That's worth keeping in mind, since engineering samples can differ meaningfully from what actually ships.
Image Credit: Weibo/ @Peter
Image Credit: Weibo/ @Peter
The Xiaomi 18 Fold's rear design bears a strong resemblance to the Huawei Pura X Max, which beat both Samsung and Apple to market as the first wide-folding phone to launch commercially. Xiaomi's take appears to borrow a similar camera island placement and overall aesthetic, suggesting the company is leaning into an already-established look for this category.
Apart from this, the Xiaomi 18 Fold is already confirmed to be the first phone to use Xiaomi's in-house XRING O3 chipset, marking a notable step in the company's push toward custom silicon. Beyond the chipset and this glimpse at its camera setup, we don't know anything else about the Xiaomi 18 Fold specifications.
The phone is expected to launch sometime in September 2026, though Xiaomi hasn't confirmed an exact date yet. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 is already out and Apple is reportedly gearing up to launch its own wide-format foldable iPhone Ultra at the iPhone 18 Pro launch next month. So, Xiaomi's entry adds to a fast-growing race among Android and Apple alike to nail the wide-foldable form factor.
We'll know more as Xiaomi's own event gets closer, so stay tuned for all the updates.
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