The foldable smartphone sector is experiencing heightened competition as various manufacturers introduce hardware designed to rival Apple's forthcoming entry into the category. While Apple currently offers the iPhone 18 Pro, consumer attention is turning toward the iPhone Duo, marking the company's first foldable device. Scheduled to reach stores on October 23 with pre-orders beginning a week prior, the Duo enters an established market where rivals have spent considerable time preparing for Apple's approach.
Competitors such as Xiaomi, Oppo, Motorola, and Samsung have already rolled out foldable devices featuring a passport-style format similar to the iPhone Duo. Xiaomi recently introduced the Xiaomi 18 Fold, which matches the Duo's screen specifications with a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer screen sharing identical aspect ratios. However, the Xiaomi device undercuts the Apple model in weight at 219 grams compared to the Duo's 254 grams, incorporates a three-lens rear camera system offering extra optical zoom range, and carries a starting price of 10,999 yuan, roughly $1,640, though its availability remains restricted to China for now.
In the US market, Samsung serves as a primary rival with its Galaxy Z Fold8. Shifting away from older near-square layouts, the base Z Fold8 adopts a wider passport shape featuring 7.6-inch and 5.5-inch screens alongside straighter, uncurved corners. Priced at $1,900—just $100 below the starting cost of the iPhone Duo—the device offers dual rear cameras and a design tailored for media consumption.
Meanwhile, Oppo adopted an alternative form factor with the Find N6, favoring a conventional foldable layout with a 6.62-inch outer display and an 8.12-inch inner screen. The Find N6 emphasizes slimness at 8.93mm when closed, alongside a 6,000mAh battery, 80W wired fast charging, IP59 certification, and a 200-megapixel main camera. Positioned primarily for Asian markets with an international variant available, it starts at 9,999 yuan, or about $1,490. Additionally, Motorola's Razr Fold provides a US retail option featuring a 6.6-inch outer screen, an 8.1-inch inner screen with a peak brightness of 6,000 nits, a 6,000mAh battery, 80W charging, a triple-camera system, and stylus support for a starting price of $1,900.
Despite strong hardware competition from international brands, Apple is positioning the iPhone Duo to stand out through software integration. iOS 27 brings specific optimizations tailored for the foldable form factor, introducing custom animations for display transitions and distinct usage modes.
What This Means
The arrival of the iPhone Duo highlights how the foldable smartphone market has matured beyond pioneering experiments into a fiercely contested mainstream category. As major manufacturers converge on similar passport-style aspect ratios and hardware specifications, differentiation increasingly relies on hardware refinements such as battery capacity, weight reduction, and camera capabilities, alongside proprietary software ecosystems. The aggressive pricing strategies and advanced physical specs from non-US brands like Xiaomi and Oppo suggest that consumers outside the US may have access to high-end foldable features earlier or at lower price points, while Apple relies on its integrated iOS 27 software optimizations and brand loyalty to capture market share. This dynamic could compel competitors to continuously refine their hardware thickness, battery longevity, and charging speeds to maintain an edge as foldable adoption expands globally.
Source: Engadget
Original source: https://www.engadget.com/2279277/how-xiaomi-oppo-other-non-us-brands-challenging-iphone-duo/