Xiaomi has entered the new generation of wide foldable phones
with the Xiaomi 18 Fold. The phone uses a passport-style design
with a 5.38-inch outer display and a 7.58-inch inner screen.

Apple has also entered the foldable market with the iPhone Duo.
It uses a similar compact book-style shape and opens into a
7.6-inch display.

The two phones look similar in size when compared side by side,
but Xiaomi focuses on camera hardware, battery capacity and
charging, while Apple focuses on its A20 Pro chip, iOS and
the Apple ecosystem.

Display

The Xiaomi 18 Fold has a 7.58-inch inner LTPO AMOLED display with
a 2364 × 1672 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Its outer
screen measures 5.38 inches and also supports 120Hz.

Both Xiaomi displays can reach up to 4,000 nits of peak
brightness, giving the phone a strong advantage for bright
outdoor viewing.

The iPhone Duo has a slightly larger 7.6-inch inner Super Retina
XDR OLED display and a 5.4-inch outer display. Both screens
support ProMotion up to 120Hz and reach up to 3,000 nits of
outdoor peak brightness.

Xiaomi wins the display battle on brightness, while Apple’s
nano-texture inner display is designed to reduce glare and make
the fold area less distracting.

Camera

Xiaomi gives the 18 Fold a very powerful camera system. It has
a 200MP Leica main camera with OIS, a 50MP periscope telephoto
camera with 3.5x optical zoom and a 50MP ultra-wide camera.

The phone can also record 8K video at up to 24fps. This makes
the Xiaomi 18 Fold one of the strongest camera-focused foldables
on paper.

The iPhone Duo uses a 48MP Fusion Main camera and a 48MP Fusion
Ultra Wide camera. The main camera provides optical-quality 2x
telephoto framing.

Apple’s camera system also supports 4K Dolby Vision recording
at up to 120fps, along with Dual Capture and other foldable
camera features.

Xiaomi wins for camera hardware and zoom. Apple has the stronger
argument for video features and its camera processing.

Performance

The Xiaomi 18 Fold is powered by Xiaomi’s 3nm Xring O3 processor.
It uses a deca-core CPU with speeds reaching up to 4.35GHz and
can be paired with up to 16GB RAM.

The top Xiaomi model uses LPDDR6 memory and 1TB of UFS 4.1
storage. Xiaomi has also built the chip around AI processing.

The iPhone Duo uses Apple’s A20 Pro chip, built on a 2nm process.
Apple says the chip includes a 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU and a
dual 16-core Neural Engine.

Xiaomi offers more RAM, while Apple has the newer 2nm chip
architecture. Real-world performance will depend on testing,
apps and software optimisation.

Battery

This is one of Xiaomi’s biggest advantages. The Xiaomi 18 Fold
has a large 6,000mAh battery and supports 67W wired charging.
It also supports 50W wireless charging.

Apple does not publish the exact battery capacity of the
iPhone Duo. Instead, it uses a dual-battery system, with a
battery on each side of the foldable body.

Apple rates the iPhone Duo for up to 31 hours of video playback
using the inner display and up to 44 hours using the outer
display.

Xiaomi wins on battery capacity and charging speed, while Apple
focuses on battery efficiency and its dual-battery design.

Design

Xiaomi uses a wide passport-style design. The 18 Fold measures
about 5.02mm when open and weighs around 219 grams.

The phone uses Xiaomi’s Dragon Crystal Glass 3.0 on the cover
display and a flexible ultra-thin glass structure for the
folding panel.

The iPhone Duo is made from grade 5 titanium and measures
5.2mm when open. It weighs 254 grams.

Apple also gives the iPhone Duo an IP68 rating, while Xiaomi
provides IP58 and IP59 protection.

Xiaomi wins on weight and thinness. Apple wins on its titanium
construction and higher IP68 protection rating.

Software and AI

Xiaomi 18 Fold runs HyperOS 4 based on Android 17. Xiaomi has
designed the software around its wide foldable display and
supports multitasking with multiple apps.

The iPhone Duo runs iOS 27. Apple has redesigned parts of iOS
for the two-screen design and adds Split View for running two
apps side by side.

Apple also brings Apple Intelligence and Siri AI to the iPhone
Duo. Xiaomi focuses on its own AI features and on-device AI
capabilities.

Apple is the better choice for people already using an iPhone,
Mac, Apple Watch or other Apple products. Xiaomi offers more
freedom and deeper Android-style multitasking.

Price and Availability

Xiaomi 18 Fold starts at CNY 10,999 in China for the 12GB RAM
and 256GB storage version. The top 16GB + 1TB version costs
CNY 14,999.

Xiaomi has not announced an official India launch or India
price. Current reports indicate that the phone is limited to
China for now.

The iPhone Duo starts at ₹2,99,900 in India for 256GB. Apple
says pre-orders begin in India on October 16, with availability
from October 23.

Xiaomi is much cheaper at its Chinese starting price, but Indian
buyers should not treat the converted CNY figure as an official
India price.

Xiaomi 18 Fold is a serious challenge to Apple’s first foldable
iPhone. Xiaomi gives users a 200MP Leica camera, 6,000mAh
battery, 67W charging, 50W wireless charging and up to 16GB RAM.

The iPhone Duo takes a different path. It costs much more in
India, but brings Apple’s A20 Pro chip, iOS 27, Apple Intelligence,
a titanium body, IP68 protection and up to 2TB storage.

If hardware value is your top priority, the Xiaomi 18 Fold is
the clear winner. If you already live inside Apple’s ecosystem
and want the first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo is worth the
premium.

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