Foldable Frenzy: Apple Faces Competition Ahead of iPhone Ultra Launch
Apple is set to unveil its new iPhone series and foldable iPhone, dubbed the iPhone Ultra, at an upcoming event on September 9. However, Chinese smartphone makers Huawei and Xiaomi are heating up competition with their own flagship foldable smartphones.
Huawei has already launched the Mate XT2, a successor to last year's Mate XT, which boasts a tablet-sized screen that opens twice. The device runs on Huawei's new Kirin 9050 Pro chip and features its LogicFolding chip design, offering improved capacity while using less power. Additionally, it offers better water resistance and privacy protection.
Xiaomi is also set to release the Xiaomi 18 Fold later today, featuring a passport-like design similar to Apple's expected iPhone Ultra. The device will run on Xiaomi's Xring 03 processors.
These launches are significant as they come ahead of Apple's potential foldable iPhone launch and demonstrate the growing competition in the market for premium smartphones. Huawei has a strong presence in China, where it holds a 23% market share of smartphone shipments, surpassing last year's 18%. Meanwhile, Samsung has already launched its Galaxy Z Fold8, a passport-sized foldable smartphone.
The high price point of Apple's expected foldable iPhone, over $2,000 per device, is seen as an attempt to offset soaring memory costs. Analysts expect Apple to sell around 7.3 million units by the first quarter of 2027 despite this premium pricing.