Headaches for Samsung as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 may get another mighty competitor this summer

Samsung is probably getting worried about the prospects for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which will get its strongest competitor once Apple launches its first foldable iPhone later this year. It appears that’s far from the only release that may bother the Korean company. After an almost two-year pause, one more big smartphone manufacturer may return to the book-style foldable market.

Xiaomi may launch a book-style foldable this year

Two years after the launch of the Mix Fold 4, Xiaomi may return to the book-style foldable market. The company is already working on a new foldable smartphone, according to information shared by leaker Smart Pikachu in a Weibo post (source in Chinese).

The leaker says that the new foldable will rely mostly on components developed internally by Xiaomi. Those could include a self-developed hinge mechanism and camera lenses, as well as the UI.

Coming before the Galaxy Z Fold 8

While the release schedule is still not set in stone, the leaker says that the launch could happen around July this year. If that’s true, Xiaomi could launch its new foldable just before Samsung’s expected premiere for the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Another missing detail about the device is its name. While the leaker uses a hashtag that mentions the name Mix Fold 5, earlier rumors suggested it could be something in the spirit of Xiaomi 17 Fold. Considering that Xiaomi changed its naming conventions with the Xiaomi 17 series to match the iPhone 17 series, that makes sense. Apple’s foldable is rumored to be called iPhone Fold.



Xiaomi last launched a book-style foldable in 2024 with the Mix Fold 4, which featured a fantastic camera and top-tier specs. The device was never launched outside of China, but its successor could go a different way. Honor’s Magic V6 and the Oppo Find N6 got their international releases, though none of those devices is available in the US.

Foldables everywhere

Apple’s entry into the foldable space is certainly going to make those devices much more popular than ever before. Competition is always welcome, so I’d love to see Xiaomi joining the party, especially if its device is as good as the Xiaomi 17 phones.