The Mix Fold 3 is Xiaomi’s new flagship foldable smartphone. Although it is not available in France, we were able to take it in hand… and we were won over! No doubt, it is one of the best in its segment. His secret is simple: make no compromises.
Fold format smartphones are often considered the crème de la crème, the pinnacle of technology. In fact, manufacturers do not hesitate to display them at unreasonable prices. However, this format has weaknesses. We think in particular of the camera, often sacrificed on the altar of the foldable, or of the fragility of the hinge. Achilles heels what Xiaomi wants to correct with its Mix Fold 3.
Presented in August 2023 in China, it succeeds (logically) the Mix Fold 2, which we had already taken in hand a few months ago. With this product, the Beijing brand wants to both adjust its formula, but also show that she has something under the hood.
The goal of this terminal is simple: to offer the best in all areas. We were able to take it in hand and the first contact was very convincing.
The Mix Fold 3 is a “Fold” smartphone, that is to say a format reminiscent of that of a book. We therefore have a foldable screen inside as well as an external screen for more traditional use. A form factor inaugurated in 2019 by a certain Samsung with the Galaxy Fold.
First observation when taking charge of this Mix Fold 3, we have a very thin terminal. It is only 11mm thick when folded and 5.5 mm unfolded. Bluffing.
For comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is much thicker at 13.5mm. However, it is necessary to put it into perspective, since it is not the thinnest on the market. This title goes to the recent Honor Magic V2, which falls below the centimeter mark. Even so, Xiaomi offers a terminal that is pleasant to handle, since we almost have the impression of having a plate on which an image is placed.
The aluminum back cover adopts a texture reminiscent of the imitation leather of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. But it’s its large photo module that catches the eye. Glass, he imposes it and we only see him. It is made up of four sensors, we will return to their case a little later.
Xiaomi has reworked its hinge for this Mix Fold 3. Very discreet, it gives a real impression of solidity in addition to completely closing the interior screen, leaving no “gap” as we could see with the competition. Xiaomi promises up to 500,000 manipulations guaranteed, which is huge.
Last important point, this hinge provides real resistance to folding. While the Mix Fold 2 only left the choice between the open and closed position, this Fold 3 can be left ajar, like at Samsung. The software part supports this use, an excellent point.
In terms of finish, there is nothing to criticize about this Mix Fold 3. Beautiful, pleasant in the hand, chic, it has all the trappings of a premium smartphone. We particularly appreciate its very discreet hinge, its balanced weight (256 grams) as well as its sober and effective visual. It’s a pleasure to handle. A great lesson in design.
Impressive screens and a powerful processor
The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 is equipped an 8-inch OLED interior screen with a definition of 2160 x 1916 pixels and a dynamic refresh rate of 120 Hz. We have a beautiful panel with infinite contrast and excellent brightness of 700 cd/m². Xiaomi offers several color calibrations, all adequate. Good command of the subject.
It’s inevitable, the internal screen still drags from this fold in the center, but it turns out to be relatively discreet, if not invisible. In fact, we forget it very quickly.
Overall, we are delighted by the large size of the display. This is all the more obvious when we compare it to the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which looks rickiki next to it. This is perfect for consuming content like videos or games.
The external screen of the Mix Fold 3 (6.56 inches, 2520 x 1080, 120 Hz) adopts a 21:9 ratio, similar to what you find on a classic smartphone. Consequently, it is used on a daily basis not as a secondary display, but as a primary display. Why open the smartphone when you just want to check your emails, do an Internet search or respond to a message? This aspect is reinforced by the fact that closed, the Mix Fold 3 is barely thicker than a single-screen phone. We also appreciate the slightly curved sides of the slab as well as its perfect calibration, similar to that of the interior slab.
The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. After a short session of the famous Antutu benchmark, the conclusion is clear: we have one of the most powerful terminals on the market. If it remains behind the Asus Zenfone 10, it ranks easily in the top 3 of our ranking. The heating, although present at the photo module, is correctly managed, not significant and concentrated in one place.
Finally, let’s quickly talk about the MIUI Fold 14.1.1 overlay (with Android 13), which we tested in Chinese. Xiaomi perfectly supports the particular format of the screen, especially with the keyboard (fully adjustable) which adapts to the fold or even proprietary applications. Classic, but today mandatory to make the most of the foldable. Note that our model is not sold in Europe, most applications are inaccessible to us, because they require a Chinese identity card.
A high-end camera
The camera is often the weak point of foldable smartphones, quite simply because the lack of space forces manufacturers to make concessions. On this point, Xiaomi has decided to go against the trend with a high-end module. We have a 50-megapixel main sensor (f/1.8), a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor (f/2.2), a telephoto lens with 10-megapixel 10 megapixels (f/2.9). Note that this module was designed in partnership with Leica, as was the case with the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
After a few tests, we were won over by the photo part of the Mix Fold 3. The terminal incorporates some features of the 13 Ultra, notably the possibility of juggling between Leica Vibrant and Leica Authentic modes, specific to the German brand. We particularly like the second, which gives a real character to the result. But you must keep in mind that these modes do not offer colors faithful to reality.
The 50-megapixel sensor is excellent outdoors, giving shots with good sharpness and excellent color and contrast management.
However, we are a little disappointed with the macro mode, a real weak point of the module. It is indeed difficult to take stock and the results are seriously lacking in precision.
Night mode, for its part, is aggressive in post-processing, but has the advantage of offering a readable result. We’re seeing much better (the king remains the Pixel 7 Pro), but it’s ok.
As for the other sensors, they do a decent job without reaching peaks. We greatly appreciate the presence of two optical zoom lenses, real strong point of this Fold 3.
A smartphone that makes you salivate, when in France?
OUR first contact with the Mix Fold 3 was very exciting. Here we have a phone that wants to do everything, and does it well. We are thinking in particular of the photo part which corrects one of the recurring problems of foldable smartphones. However, many questions remain: what about autonomy? Of use in everyday life? Reliability over time? Fast charging?
For the moment, Xiaomi has not revealed its intention to sell the product in Europe. You should know that the Mix Fold 2 model never arrived in our region. But Xiaomi could give it a try, the brand having told us that nothing was impossible. After all, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra was indeed marketed in the West even though the hope of seeing it arrive was slim. It remains to be seen whether the price placement will prove interesting, especially compared to competitors.
Let us specify thatbuying the Mix Fold 3 as an import is not a viable solution. While it is possible to put the interface in English, most applications remain in Mandarin. To this must be added the impossibility of using the Google software suite as well as most applications without a (Chinese) identity card. So the only thing to do is wait…and cross your fingers.