Apple's Foldable Ambition Faces High-Stakes Competition from Huawei and Xiaomi
Apple is set to debut its highly anticipated iPhone Ultra at an event on September 9. However, this launch may not be as straightforward as it seems, especially given the growing competition in the foldable smartphone market.
Huawei and Xiaomi have already launched their own foldable devices, with Huawei's Mate XT2 being a notable competitor to Apple's iPhone Ultra. The Mate XT2 features a tablet-sized screen that unfolds twice, uses a Kirin 9050 Pro processor, and includes water resistance and privacy protection.
Xiaomi is also expected to reveal the Xiaomi 18 Fold, which resembles the rumored iPhone Ultra design but with an Xring 03 processor. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 was introduced in late July, adding more competition to the foldable market.
China is a crucial market for Apple, and its performance will be closely watched. Huawei led smartphone shipments during the second quarter of 2026 with 23% market share, while Apple held 18%. China is the world's largest smartphone market, and Huawei and Samsung dominate global foldable sales.