Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo doesn’t even come out until Oct. 23, but it already has a lookalike. That’s because the iPhone Duo wasn’t the only short and wide foldable device announced this week.
Just a couple of days before the big Apple event, in which the Duo was announced alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and other devices, Xiaomi launched a competitor of its own, per PhoneArena. It’s called the Xiaomi 18 Fold and, as you can see from the photos, it looks a lot like the iPhone Duo. It trades the boxy corners of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which came out over the summer, for the rounded edges and D-shape of the Duo.
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Reports prior to the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s launch suggested that Samsung picked that form factor because of what Apple was doing, and it’s very possible Xiaomi did the same. The phone is unlikely to be released outside of China, but here are some of the specs, in case you’re curious:
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Display: 7.58-inch main display and 5.38-inch cover display
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Processor: XRING O3
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RAM: 12/16GB
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Storage: 256/512GB/1TB
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Battery: 6,000mAh
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Cameras: 200MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto
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 shooter), and they’re Leica cameras.
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Credit: Xiaomi
Those are pretty decent specs for a phone whose Chinese price converts to roughly $1,600 USD, but again, there’s no way you’ll ever get one in the States without importing it. That’s sure to drive the cost up into iPhone Duo territory, so at that point, you might as well just get one of Apple or Samsung’s foldables.
However, the device could offer Apple some competition when the iPhone Duo launches in China.
Clearly, this specific form factor is officially a thing now.
Top smartphone deals of the week
If the $1,999 iPhone Duo isn’t in your budget, this is a great time to take advantage of discounts on previous-generation iPhones and Android devices.
