Xiaomi 18 Fold Review: A Deliberate Copy That Outguns the Duo on Paper

Xiaomi's newest foldable doesn't hide what it's aiming at. It matches the iPhone Duo's shape almost exactly, then beats it on nearly every spec sheet number, while falling short on the software polish that made Apple's phone feel finished.

A deliberate copy, right down to the millimeter

The Xiaomi 18 Fold is the same height as the iPhone Duo to the tenth of a millimeter, with a matching 5.4-inch cover display that opens into a 7.6-inch inner screen, the same 1.4:1 aspect ratio Apple uses. Same flat edge on one side, same large-radius corners on the other. The crease is nearly gone here too, roughly 98% erased in normal use. This was clearly built to sit next to Apple's phone and invite the comparison.

Where it wins on paper

The Fold is thinner at 5.02mm open against the Duo's 5.2mm, and lighter at 219g against Apple's 254g, making it one of the lightest foldables of the year while the Duo is one of the heaviest. It packs a 6,000mAh silicon carbon battery, more capacity than any iPhone, Galaxy or Pixel, folding or not, and it lasted the longest of any foldable tested. Charging is faster too, at 67W against Apple's effective 60W, and the display gets brighter, at 4,000 nits against the Duo's 3,000. The camera array adds a third lens missing from Apple's setup, a 3.5x optical telephoto, alongside a 200MP main and 50MP ultrawide. It also keeps dual SIM slots, an IR blaster, a pre-installed screen protector, and it starts at roughly $1,640, well under the Duo's $1,999.

Multitasking is the real flex

Where Xiaomi separates itself most is software freedom. The 18 Fold can run six apps at once as a swipeable group, plus two additional floating windows on top, all functioning simultaneously without the system stepping in to limit it. Windows resize by dragging, a four-finger swipe shows everything running at once, and apps can be pulled open to full tablet size while keeping the ability to snap back into split view. It's a level of unrestricted multitasking well beyond the two-app split view Apple introduced with the Duo.

Where the seams show

The software doesn't consistently take advantage of its own screen. Empty margins sit unused around some apps, the built-in camera app displays uneven black bars, and the weather app's numbers look stretched and low-resolution when the phone is opened. Third-party apps fare worse: YouTube distorts under split screen, Netflix's interface breaks on rotation, and one game's menu button lands directly under the selfie camera. Face unlock also isn't as secure as Face ID, though it's less of a hassle day to day than resorting to the Duo's Touch ID.

Build quality raises its own concerns. The aluminum frame explains the weight advantage but trades away some durability and scratch resistance compared to Apple's titanium. The phone also struggled under sustained load, overheating and force-closing a stress test twice within about 10 minutes, with a thermal camera confirming heat concentrated heavily on one side near the chip rather than spreading evenly. The ultrawide camera shows visible grain even in well-lit video, and despite the 200MP main sensor's headline number, its physical sensor size matches a base iPhone 17, a much less impressive comparison once you look past the megapixel count.

Smaller refinements are missing too. There's no stylus support on either screen, the hinge sounds noticeably scratchier than a Galaxy Z Fold8's, there's no nano-texture coating to fight fingerprints or glare, and the crease, while similar in depth to Apple's, is slightly more visible without an equivalent disguising layer. The speakers run harsh enough that they're worth turning down.

The good and the bad

What works

• Significantly lighter and thinner than the Duo
• Longest-lasting battery of any current foldable
• Faster charging and a brighter display
• A third camera lens, including real optical zoom
• Genuinely unrestricted multitasking, up to six apps plus floating windows
• Lower price than Apple's foldable

What doesn't

• Software doesn't consistently use the fold's screen space
• Overheats and throttles hard under sustained load
• Aluminum frame trades away scratch resistance
• Main camera's sensor size doesn't match its megapixel count
• No stylus support, no nano-texture coating, scratchier hinge
• Grainy ultrawide video, harsh speakers

Alternatives worth a look

• iPhone Duo, more polished software, heavier, pricier.
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, a more refined hinge and build for similar money.