Ahead of Apple event, Chinese smartphone makers unveil new foldables
Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone at its September 9 event
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Published: Sep 8, 2026 12:24 PM | 1 min read
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- Huawei and Xiaomi launched new flagship foldable smartphones, the Mate XT2 and Xiaomi 18 Fold, just before Apple's September 9 event.
- The launches heighten competition in China's premium smartphone market, coinciding with Apple's anticipated entry into the foldable category.
- Xiaomi's CEO Lei Jun directly compared the Xiaomi 18 Fold to Apple devices, highlighting its lighter weight and superior processor performance.
- The timing of these launches reflects a trend in the tech industry where competitors seek to capture media attention ahead of major rival product unveilings.
Huawei and Xiaomi have unveiled new flagship foldable smartphones just days before Apple’s September 9 launch event, getting their premium devices (and the inevitable comparisons) into the news cycle before Cupertino takes centre stage.
Huawei on Monday launched the Mate XT2, the latest version of its tri-fold smartphone, while Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 18 Fold at a separate event. The launches intensify competition in China’s premium smartphone market just as Apple is widely expected to make its own long-awaited entry into the foldable category.
Xiaomi, in fact, used its launch rather explicitly to take aim at Apple. CEO Lei Jun compared the Xiaomi 18 Fold directly with Apple devices, saying the 219-gram handset was lighter than the iPhone Pro Max. Xiaomi also claimed its in-house XRing O3 AI processor outperformed Apple’s A19 Pro in responsiveness.
The timing follows what has become something of a tech-industry tradition: competitors attempting to borrow, and or interrupt, the enormous media cycle surrounding a major rival’s product launch. In this case, the manoeuvre is particularly pointed because Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone at its September 9 event, putting it directly into a category where Chinese manufacturers have already spent years building products and market share.
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