Xiaomi just launched two big new gadgets in China: the Xiaomi 18 Folda folding phone, and the Xiaomi Pad 9 Pro Max, a large tablet. Both run on a new chip Xiaomi built itself, called the Xring O3. The launch took place on September 7. At the same event, Xiaomi’s car brand also showed off new electric cars as part of Xiaomi Auto’s big EV push at IFA 2026.
This matters because Xiaomi is trying to do something hard: build its own top phone chip instead of buying one from Qualcomm or MediaTek, the way most phone brands do. If it works well, Xiaomi controls more of its own hardware and can update its chip on its own schedule.
What Is the Xring O3?
The Xring O3 is Xiaomi’s newest top phone chip. It is built on a small 3nm process, with 10 cores and a new graphics part called G2-Ultra NX. Think of a phone chip as the “brain” of the device. This is Xiaomi’s newest brain, and it is a big jump up from last year’s chip, the same chip that appeared in earlier leaks about Xiaomi’s next foldable phone.
The tiny 3nm parts sit packed close together, so the chip runs fast without draining the battery quickly. The 10 cores are split across three speed levels. Xiaomi says the new graphics part is up to 85% faster and uses 64% less power than last year’s.
In lab tests, the chip scored over 5 million points on AnTuTu, a popular app that measures phone speed. One word of caution: these scores come from the phone makers’ own labs first, and chip makers know how to make the numbers look good. Real-world speed, battery life, and heat will only be clear once outside reviewers get their hands on the device.
The Xiaomi 18 Fold: Key Specs at a Glance
The Xiaomi 18 Fold folds shut to about the size of a passport. Open, the inside screen is 7.58 inches; the outside screen is 5.38 inches. Both screens refresh up to 120 times a second, which puts it ahead of many phones in Xiaomi’s own comparison of foldables, flip phones, and sliders.
- Camera: Three cameras made with Leica, including a 200MP main camera, continuing the same premium camera focus Xiaomi used on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
- Battery: 6,000mAh, large for a folding phone, matching what earlier battery and charging leaks had pointed to.
- Charging: 120W fast charging.
- Weight: 219 grams.
- Memory: First phone in the world with LPDDR6 RAM.
The Xiaomi Pad 9 Pro Max
This tablet also runs on the Xring O3 chip. It has a 13.3-inch screen that refreshes 144 times a second, which is unusually fast for a tablet. It packs a 12,000mAh battery with 120W charging, built for people who edit video, draw, or run many apps at once. Like Xiaomi’s phones, it runs HyperOS, which brings Xiaomi’s newest AI tools and smart notifications.
Prices in China
The Xiaomi 18 Fold starts at 10,999 yuan (about $1,600) in China. The price rises to 15,999 yuan (about $2,380) for a limited ceramic model, capped at 1,500 units. Sales in China start on September 10.
What Most Reports Leave Out
Xiaomi has not launched the 18 Fold outside China yet. But a reseller called Giztop is already shipping it worldwide for $1,999. Most coverage just repeats “no international launch confirmed” and stops there. That is true, but it leaves out that buyers outside China already have a real way to get the phone.
Here is a second mix-up worth clearing up. Some early reports say the Xring O3 has a 20-core CPU, a 24-core AI part, and support for 160GB of memory. Those numbers actually belong to a different chip: Xiaomi’s car chip, the Xring D100, not the O3 inside these two new devices. If you see very different chip numbers on different sites, this mix-up between Xiaomi’s three new chips (O3, O100, and D100) is likely why.
It also helps to know how long Xiaomi supports its devices. The company has promised up to five years of software and security updates for select devices, and it keeps sending out monthly fixes, like its recent July 2026 security update, to older phones too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Xiaomi 18 Fold available outside China?
Xiaomi has not launched the 18 Fold outside China, but the reseller Giztop is already shipping it worldwide for $1,999.
What is the difference between the X-ring O3, O100, and D100?
The X-ring O3 powers Xiaomi’s new phone and tablet. The Xring D100, with a 20-core CPU and 24-core AI part, is a separate chip built for Xiaomi’s electric cars.
How much does the Xiaomi 18 Fold cost?
It starts at 10,999 yuan (about $1,600) in China, rising to 15,999 yuan (about $2,380) for the limited 1,500-unit ceramic model.
What to Watch Before You Buy
The Xring O3 is a serious attempt at building a true top-level chip in-house, and these two devices are the first real test of whether it holds up outside a lab. For now, both are official only in China, though a global reseller is already filling that gap. Independent reviews, not company-run benchmarks, will be the real test of whether the Xring O3 lives up to its numbers.