First Foldable iPhone Launches Tomorrow, Chinese Phone Brands React Immediately
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Two Chinese smartphone giants appear to have stolen a march on Apple ahead of the release of its first foldable phone tomorrow, Wednesday (9/9/2026). Huawei and Xiaomi have just released their own foldable handsets on Monday (7/9/2026).
Huawei released the Mate XT2 series, which uses the Kirin 9050 Pro chip. The new chip delivers greater computing power whilst being more efficient.
Huawei employs the LogicFolding architecture, part of the Tau Scaling Law principle. This was revealed in May as the company continued its efforts to overcome restrictions on access to advanced technology imposed by the US government.
The device features a dual-folding mechanism and, when unfolded, reaches tablet size. The new series has received numerous improvements, including a redesigned hinge, better water resistance, and a privacy display.
The Mate XT2 is priced from 19,999 yuan (Rp 52 million) up to 24,999 yuan (Rp 65.6 million) for the top model. First sales will begin on 12 September 2026.
Huawei Executive Director Richard Yu also touched on the pricing of the new product, saying that setting prices has been a challenge due to rising memory costs.
“Pricing is a real challenge because memory costs have risen sharply. We have adopted a great deal of new technology and the cost pressure is enormous,” Richard said, quoted by Reuters on Monday (8/9/2026).
Xiaomi 18 Fold
Meanwhile, Xiaomi describes its foldable phone, the Xiaomi 18 Fold, as a mid-sized foldable solution. The handset is passport-sized when folded.
Its screen can accommodate three apps simultaneously when unfolded. The Xiaomi 18 Fold weighs 219 grams and is 5.02 mm thick when folded.
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said the company’s handset holds advantages over Apple’s products, including being lighter than the iPhone Pro Max.
The processor used is Xiaomi’s own AI XRing 03. Lei claimed the chipset outperforms Apple’s A19 Pro in terms of responsiveness.
The phone is priced from 10,999 yuan (Rp 28.8 million) to 14,999 yuan (Rp 39.4 million). Lei also said the selling price is not cheap, but represents fair value.
“At the moment, memory is very expensive. We would not call it cheap, but it is worth the price,” said Lei.