We are seeing some fresh details emerge in the folding smartphone market. Leaked images of the new Xiaomi 18 Fold are making rounds online right before Apple is set to reveal its first folding phone. These early prototype pictures show a design that looks quite similar to what everyone expects from the upcoming iPhone Ultra. The book style folding screen is quickly becoming the clear winner.
Leaked prototype images reveal a familiar book style folding design
There are two main ways folding phones work. The flip design takes a normal phone and folds it in half to fit in a pocket. The book format takes a slightly square device and opens it up into a small tablet. The market shows the book format is winning the race. Samsung just released its eighth generation Galaxy Z Fold model last month. Now, Xiaomi is stepping up with its own book style model.
A Weibo user named Peter recently posted two photos of the new device. These images appear to show an early testing model rather than the final retail version. The back camera bump looks very close to the rumored layout for the iPhone Ultra. The photos also show the device in a dark cherry finish. Other tech reporters note that this dark cherry shade matches rumors about a future iPhone color option.
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It is clear that major brands are leaning heavily into the small tablet experience. With Apple expected to announce its new foldable device next month, the competition is getting tighter. Buyers looking for a folding phone will soon have multiple strong options on store shelves. The smart move is to wait and see what launches in the coming weeks before spending any money.
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