OPINION: While at Snapdragon Summit in Maui this week, I’ve had the opportunity to not only demo the next-gen Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Snapdragon X Elite chipsets, but I also got the chance to play with a bunch of Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-equipped hardware in a device showcase.
While it was a relatively standard range of smartphones from all ends of the market, one in particular stood out to me: The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3.
The latest book-style foldable from Xiaomi launched in China on 14 August, but the sad news is that, like the previous foldables in the Mix Fold collection, it’s not scheduled for an international release – and that’s to the detriment of Western foldable fans everywhere.
That’s because the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 is one of a growing trend of thin book-style foldables, something that was instantly noticeable as I picked up the phone and started playing with it. Measuring in at 5.3mm thick when unfolded, it’s slightly thinner than the OnePlus Open that I’m such a fan of.
In fact, it feels similar in the hand to the Honor Magic V2, another book-style foldable readily available in China that is yet to see an international release – although that one is due in the UK and Europe in early 2024.
With slim foldable dimensions, Xiaomi has the opportunity to clean up in the UK and European markets in particular, with most other options – like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold – offering a comparatively thick design.
It’s not just that it’s thin and light either; the crease on the inner 8.03-inch 120Hz OLED display, much like options from OnePlus and Honor, isn’t that visible when looking straight on, and there’s much less of a dip when running your finger over it either.
In fact, the hinge mechanism, in general, is a bit of a success, with a firm hinge that allows it to sit comfortably half-open, but one that also folds completely flat with no visible gap between the two halves.
Throw in a decent quad camera setup consisting of a 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide and dual 10MP telephoto lenses with 3.2x and 5x optical zoom, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 power (that’s admittedly now out of date!) and a solid 4,800mAh battery with 67W charging and you’ve got a tempting option that, I feel, would do well in the UK and European markets.
That’s especially true as, in the context of the Chinese market, the Mix Fold 3 is a cheaper option than what you’ll find from the likes of Huawei, starting at just CNY 8,999 compared to the Mate X3’s CNY 12,999 price tag. If Xiaomi could take that budget focus and translate it to a tempting Western price, it would be a complete winner.
So, Xiaomi, please reconsider and bring the Mix Fold 3 to the Western market.