Xiaomi has started sales of the 18 Fold in China, a rollout that follows Apple's iPhone Duo launch.
The 18 Fold ships with Xiaomi's own in-house Xring O3 processor and a 6,000 mAh battery.
The company has confined initial availability to the domestic Chinese market, rather than launching internationally alongside the release.
A wave of pre-emptive launches
Huawei and other local rivals also timed new foldable launches to land immediately before or alongside Apple's reveal, intensifying what amounts to a pre-emptive sprint in the premium smartphone segment.
That timing reflects how directly Chinese manufacturers now compete with Apple in the foldable category, an area where companies including Huawei and Samsung have had a multi-year head start.
A reset moment for the category
Apple's entry to the foldable market with the iPhone Duo has reset the competitive frame for the segment as a whole.
The launch comes as Apple plans staggered rollouts and premium pricing, a strategy that has shifted attention back onto flagship hardware more broadly, rather than only onto the foldable form factor itself.
What happens next
The near-term milestone for the category will be Apple's preorder and shipping schedule for the iPhone Duo.
That schedule will show whether a comparatively late entry from Apple can alter demand dynamics already shaped by established Chinese and Korean manufacturers, or whether it simply adds a premium-priced alternative to a market those rivals have already spent years building.
