Will this new generation mark Xiaomi’s debut in the international folding smartphone market? The Chinese brand, which has so far reserved its Mix Fold models for its domestic market, is preparing to formalize a new version of the device: it will be the Mix Fold 3. For its formalization, go to 14 next August, at an event organized in China.
Prior to the formalization, the brand, or rather Lei Jun (founder and CEO of Xiaomi) reveals many details which give hope for a later release of this Mix Fold 3 in Europe. Among the elements to note, its large interior screen, whose diagonal reaches 8.03 inches (barely more than that of the Mix Fold 2, 8.02 inches). Lei Jun promises that the crease has been further reduced, and above all that the brightness would reach 2600 cd / m², like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, which exceeded 2000 cd / m² in HDR during our tests. This screen will also display a 2K definition and will benefit from a refresh rate of 120 Hz, like the Mix Fold 2. The CEO of Xiaomi indicates that it has been tested for 200,000 openings and closings by the laboratories of the brand.
Other elements allow you to get an idea of the smartphone. If it is announced as thinner and lighter than the Mix Fold 2, which was already particularly discreet (11.2 mm closed and 262 g on the scale), Lei Jun does not mention its exact measurements, contenting himself with stating that the hinge of his next folding is 12% thinner than that of the Fold 2. On the other hand, he shows the photo block integrated into the back of his device. We spot the Leica stamp, its partner since last year, but also the presence of four modules. Four focal lengths are thus available, from 15 to 115 mm, as indicated by the inscription on the side of the modules. We are therefore dealing with a periscopic lens offering a much greater magnification than that of the Mix Fold 2, which did not exceed the equivalent of 45 mm, with an 8 Mpx sensor. We do not know, however, the exact definition of the modules integrated into the new terminal, but we note that with its four focal lengths, it promises to be particularly versatile.
While Samsung has just formalized its Galaxy Z Fold 5, which will be officially available from August 11, competition is still rare on the European market. With the exception of Honor, which has been offering its Magic V there since the spring and will market the Magic V2 by the end of the year, only Huawei also markets this type of device there in a market that is certainly growing, but still marginal compared to traditional smartphones.