Xiaomi’s wide foldable promises more power than Samsung’s

Xiaomi is the latest manufacturer to release a short, wide foldable phone, in the same week Apple is expected to do the same. I got to try the 18 Fold behind closed doors at IFA last week, and while it looks and feels similar enough to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, superior specs make it feel like the phone I wish Samsung had made.

The 18 Fold is Xiaomi’s first book-style foldable since 2024’s Mix Fold 4, but the company has followed Huawei and Samsung in moving to a short, squat design. Xiaomi’s phone goes further though: it’s both shorter and wider than Samsung’s, with a roughly 1.4:1 aspect ratio on both the 7.58-inch inner and 5.38-inch outer screens — almost an exact match for both international paper sizes and IMAX screens, meaning this may be the one phone capable of playing The Odyssey without letterboxing.

[Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/xiaomi-18-fold-hands-on-impressions-05.jpg?quality=90&strip=all]

[Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/xiaomi-18-fold-hands-on-impressions-09.jpg?quality=90&strip=all]