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Huawei and Xiaomi will launch new premium smartphones in China before Apple’s expected foldable iPhone, as brands compete for attention in a market facing falling shipments and rising costs. By CNBCTV18.com September 7, 2026, 12:22:25 PM IST (Published) 4 Min Read
Huawei Technologies Co. and Xiaomi Corp. are launching new flagship foldable smartphones in China this week, just days before Apple Inc. is expected to enter the foldable smartphone market for the first time. Huawei unveiled the Mate XT 2 on Monday, the latest version of its trifold smartphone and the first Huawei device built on the company's new LogicFolding chip design philosophy. The device has two folding mechanisms and functions as both a conventional smartphone and a large-screen tablet. It follows the original Mate XT, which launched two years ago and became one of the most closely watched devices in China's premium smartphone segment.
Huawei will launch the new tri-fold smartphone Mate XT 2 with HarmonyOS 7. Later on Monday evening, Xiaomi introduced the Xiaomi 18 Fold, running on memory supplied by China's CXMT Corp. and using Xiaomi's self-developed Xring O3 processor. The Xiaomi 18 Fold features a passport-like design resembling Apple's expected foldable iPhone. Both launches are timed strategically, arriving just two days ahead of Apple's product event on Wednesday, where the company is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, priced above $2,000.
Analysts predict Apple's foldable iPhone will capture around 25% of the global market in its debut year, rising to 41% the following year. This could reshape the competitive landscape. Meanwhile, Huawei and Xiaomi face financial pressures: Xiaomi's profits have declined for three consecutive quarters, while Huawei has seen profit decline in the first half of 2026 due to rising memory prices. Both companies have raised smartphone prices to offset component costs. The global smartphone industry is also experiencing a downturn, with worldwide shipments projected to fall 14% this year. Chinese smartphone makers are particularly affected by rising memory chip costs, prompting a shift toward premium foldable smartphones to protect margins.
Analysts agree Apple's entry will expand the foldable market, benefiting the category overall, even as competition intensifies. Huawei and Xiaomi's early launches aim to secure market momentum before Apple dominates headlines.
Source: cnbctv18.com
