Both Huawei and Xiaomi unveiled their new foldable handsets on Monday, adding an additional dose of pressure to Apple ahead of its upcoming product launch. This was no coincidence. Two of China's biggest phone manufacturers have debuted foldable devices first, ahead of Apple's announcement of its next generation of iPhones, on Wednesday with the announcement of premium hardware, exact pricing details and performance promises.
Huawei Mate XT2 Series Brings a Tougher Tri-Fold Phone to Market
The new Mate XT2 series unfolds into a tablet form, and is the only big line available on the market right now that folds out twice. This device is powered by Huawei's Kirin 9050 Pro chipset and features a new hinge that is made water-resistant, as well as a privacy screen to prevent neighbors from viewing the screen.
The price of the most basic configuration is 19999 yuan ($2980) and the most expensive version is 24999 yuan ($3725). The sales begin Sept. 12. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Huawei executive director Richard Yu admitted that the rising price of memory had made it challenging to keep the price down this cycle, especially for the amount of new technology incorporated into the design.
LogicFolding and the Tau Scaling Law
Huawei claims the Kirin 9050 Pro is based on a chip architecture called LogicFolding to pack in more power while using less energy. The method is designed within the framework of a larger concept called the Tau Scaling Law that the company announced in May in an effort to compensate for continuing strictures on access to the latest chip technology in the United States.
Xiaomi 18 Fold Aims Directly at Apple's iPhone Lineup
Xiaomi unveiled its most high-end phone ever, the Xiaomi 18 Fold, at another event. When shut, the device will remain passport-sized and when opened will support three apps side-by-side, which the company refers to as a medium-fold solution.
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun noted that the phone had several specs that set it apart from the likes of the Apple devices. When unfolded, it's 5.02 millimeters thick and 219 grams, which is lighter than Apple's iPhone Pro Max. The phone is powered by the Xiaomi's in-house XRing O3 AI chip, which is faster than Apple's A19 Pro chip, and has DRAM memory from China's chip maker CXMT, said Lei.
The Xiaomi 18 Fold is priced between 10999 yuan and 14999 yuan or roughly $1540 to $2100. While criticizing the rising cost of its components, Lei stated that the price of the phone was reasonable for what it provides, adding that memory has seen a steep rise in its price across the industry.
Samsung Still Leads the Global Foldable Smartphone Market
Even though the new rival from Huawei and Xiaomi, South Korea's Samsung Electronics is the world's biggest foldable smartphone manufacturer in terms of volume. Samsung introduced its own tri-fold device in December, but it was pulled from the market after about three months. The company latched onto the foldable trend in July by adding a passport-sized one to the foldable lineup, which is conceptually the same as the new release from Xiaomi.
Huawei Leads China's Smartphone Market Ahead of Apple and Xiaomi
These new releases are also a testament of the fierce competition in China's smartphone market. Huawei held a 22.6 percent share of the market in the second quarter according to research firm IDC ahead of Apple at 18.1 percent. Xiaomi trailed with a 12.4 per cent share.
The advantages of Huawei's product line are even more evident in the foldable phone market. Research firm Smart Analytics says that in China, Huawei was behind 68 percent of all foldables shipped in the second quarter of this year.
What This Means Ahead of Apple's Product Event
Its foldables are still primarily in China and limited overseas markets, despite Huawei's ability to sell devices in the U.S. after the U.S. government deemed it a national security threat. With that, Apple and Samsung are the major competitors from around the world keeping their eye on the Chinese manufacturers, who are making rapid advances with foldable devices.
As Apple's iPhone event is now Wednesday, rumours have been swirling about the firm finally launching its own foldable phone. In the run up to the announcement the two companies have been trying to run their game with shiny new chips, sleeker designs and pricing; the foldable phone business is still quite competitive, and it continues to grow by the quarter.
Meanwhile, buyers in China will have even more options for folding phones than ever before, whereas everyone else will see if Apple responds and if Samsung is willing to defend its global lead since foldable phones gained mainstream acceptance.
