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Home / Hot Stuff / The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 doesn’t compromise on cameras

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 doesn’t compromise on cameras

Quad-lens foldable also promises epic durability

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 hot stuff

Xiaomi has just fired the latest salvo in the folding phone arms race. The Mix Fold 3 isn’t messing around, with four rear cameras that could rival the very best traditional smartphones. It also gets a hinge mechanism tested to withstand half a million folds – more than twice as much as the current foldable to beat, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Announced for China, with a global rollout still TBC, the Mix Fold 3 is Xiaomi’s first with a free-stop design, meaning it’ll stay open anywhere between 45 and 135 degrees. The firm’s previous efforts could only open or close, with no in-between angles for any sort of clever tent mode multitasking.

The new design has helped thin out the Mix Fold 3 to a svelte 10.86mm when shut and just 5.26mm at its slimmest point when open, slotting in just behind the ultra-skinny Honor Magic V2. That’s for the version made of composite fibre; there’s an alternative with a glass rear that’s marginally thicker. Any sort of IP rating for water or dust protection is sadly MIA, though.

It’s packing a 6.56in OLED display up front with a 21:9 aspect ratio, FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Protection comes courtesy of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 glass. Inside, there’s an 8.03in flexible OLED with 2160×1916 resolution, equally speedy 120Hz refresh rate and LTPO tech for power-saving dynamic adjustment. Xiaomi reckons it’ll hit a colossal 2560 nits peak brightness.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 side

Xiaomi’s long-running partnership with Leica continues here, with the four rear snappers carrying the photography firm’s branding. There’s a 50MP main snapper with optical image stabilisation, a 12MP ultrawide, 10MP fixed-lens telephoto good for 3x optical zoom, and a 10MP periscope lens with 5x optical zoom. Both zoom lenses also get OIS, for steady long-distance snapping.

It’s the first flagship foldable we’ve seen with four lenses, meaning it’ll cover focal lengths the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold can only manage with digital cropping. Xiaomi has apparently tried to dial down the image processing this year, to avoid over-processed or over-sharpened pics.

Power comes from a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and as much as 16GB of RAM, depending on which model you go for. Storage options top out at 1TB, and everything is powered by a 4800mAh battery. It can handle 67W wired charging (still impressive for a foldable) and 50W wireless top-ups.

The Mix Fold 5 is China-only for now, and even if Xiaomi does go for a wider release later down the line, US customers will almost certainly miss out unless they import one. At launch prices start at ¥8999 (about $1250/£1000) for a model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and climb to ¥10,999 (around $1500/£1200) for 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

Profile image of Tom Morgan-Freelander Tom Morgan-Freelander Deputy Editor

About

A tech addict from about the age of three (seriously, he's got the VHS tapes to prove it), Tom's been writing about gadgets, games and everything in between for the past decade, with a slight diversion into the world of automotive in between. As Deputy Editor, Tom keeps the website ticking along, jam-packed with the hottest gadget news and reviews.  When he's not on the road attending launch events, you can usually find him scouring the web for the latest news, to feed Stuff readers' insatiable appetite for tech.

Areas of expertise

Smartphones/tablets/computing, cameras, home cinema, automotive, virtual reality, gaming

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