Xiaomi is reportedly testing a wide-format compact foldable that would place it alongside Huawei, Samsung, and Apple in what is rapidly becoming the dominant design direction for high-end folding phones in the second half of 2026.
The device, which leaker Kartikey Singh posted about on X, carries the working name Xiaomi 18 Fold but may surface as the Mix Fold 5, with Singh describing a prototype that represents a significant departure from the taller, narrower proportions of the Mix Fold 4.
That shift toward a wide and compact form factor follows the template set by the Huawei Pura X Max, which established the blueprint for the category, with Samsung expected to follow in July with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Apple widely anticipated to enter the space with the foldable iPhone in autumn 2026.
The prototype Singh describes carries a triple Leica camera system headlined by a 200MP main sensor, a specification that matches the camera configuration found on the Xiaomi 17 Max, placing it at the upper end of what any foldable has offered in terms of primary sensor resolution.
Singh notes the prototype details may not carry through to the final product, a caveat that applies broadly to pre-release hardware testing, where manufacturers frequently iterate on camera configurations and sensor choices before locking down production specifications.
One open question surrounds availability as it’s unclear whether the 18 Fold would reach international markets or remain limited to China as some previous Mix series devices have.
Meanwhile, Xiaomi has not confirmed the device’s existence, and no release timeline, pricing, or market availability has been indicated at this stage, so we’ll just have to watch this space for more information.
