Specs alone would make it worth it. Unfortunately, it’s stuck in the deep depths of China.
With Samsung just releasing their foldable and Motorola also coming to release theirs, Xiaomi doesn’t want to opt out of the foldable game and had unveiled their response to these two newly released phones. Oh, this has Leica optics, similar to older Huawei Mate Folds.
The main feature here is its cameras which we will discuss later on. It uses the same butterfly wallpaper as Samsung’s Galaxy Folds, not being subtle, I guess. The main screen expands into an 8.02in. 2K+ (1914x2160px) Eco OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, 1300nits of peak brightness, and Dolby Vision support. When folded like a smartphone, it reveals a 6.56in. 21:9 FHD+ (2400x1080px) Samsung E5 AMOLED screen with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection. The tablet is larger than the Fold 4 by 0.42in. with the inner display shown.
The Eco OLED is a type of LTPO2 OLED panel meant to be more transparent while also being more power-efficient. The former is achieved by removing the polarizer layer. The glass itself boasts Schott UTG certification, allowing for better durability in addition to the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus tempered glass protection.
Of course, it would be equipped by the greatest, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset paired with 12GB RAM and a choice between 256, 512, or 1TB internal storage.
The main highlights here are its cameras which, like the 12S series, are Leica-optimized. The primary camera is none other than the famous 50MP Sony IMX766 flagship camera with OIS. This is complemented by a 13MP ultrawide camera and an 8MP telephoto camera with OIS, Dual PD focus, and 2x optical zoom. There is a 20MP front camera situated on the outer screen as a punch hole.
Last year’s camera uses a 108MP sensor. While this has more megapixels, it certainly does not mean better quality pictures. So opting with a more powerful yet less MP sensor, combined with the powerful ISP the chipset has, is definitely the better decision.
The foldable phone is equipped with MIUI 13 Fold based on Android 12. This category of MIUI 13 is specially optimized for folding screens like these and also has exclusive features which none of the regular smartphones or tablets get, such as folded views, and a simplified taskbar.
Inside is a 4500mAh battery with 67W fast charging. Immensely faster than the Z Fold 4. It charges via USB-C.
This foldable is a top-notch flagship at its finest and complements the Xiaomi 12S Ultra quite well, but Xiaomi ain’t generous enough to share it with people outside of its home country of China. It starts at CNY 8,999 (~Php 74K) for the 12/256 variant, CNY 9,999 (~Php 82.2K) for the 12/512, and CNY 11,999 (~Php 98.6K) for the 12/1TB variant. While these prices may not seem to be familiar to most Xiaomi smartphones, even to their global flagships, it’s still more affordable than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. Take note that these are directly converted.
It comes in Black and Gold.
SPECS:
- Primary/Inner Display: 8.02in. 2K+ (1914x2160px) LTPO2 Eco OLED, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 1300nits peak brightness, TrueColor Display
- Outer/Cover Display: 6.56in. FHD+ (2400x1080px) 21:9 Samsung E5 AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, True Colour Display, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm)
- CAMERAS:
- 50MP (main), f/1.8, 1/1.56″, 2.0µm 4-in-1 pixel-binning, Sony IMX766, OIS
- 13MP (ultrawide), f/2.4, 15mm
- 8MP (telephoto), f/2.6, Dual PD focus, 45mm, 2x optical zoom, OIS
- FRONT: 20MP, 27mm, 1/3.4″, 0.8µm
- 4500mAh, 67W fast charging
- MIUI 13 Fold based on Android 12L
- 5G services, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2
- USB-C, Stereo speakers
- Black, Gold
- PRICE:
- 12/256: CNY 8,999 (~Php 74K)
- 12/512: CNY 9,999 (~Php 82.2K)
- 12/1TB: CNY 11,999 (~Php 96.8K)
Source: XDA Developers