📱 Huawei & Xiaomi Challenge Premium Market with New Foldables Ahead of Apple Event

• Flagship Launches: Chinese tech giants Huawei and Xiaomi unveiled new foldable devices on September 7, intensifying competition in the premium smartphone market ahead of Apple's upcoming product launch. • Huawei Mate XT2: • Features a tri-fold design (folds out twice into a tablet screen), Kirin 9050 Pro chip, LogicFolding architecture, and enhanced privacy screen. • Priced between 19,999 yuan (US$ 2,980) and 24,999 yuan (US$ 3,725), with sales starting September 12. • Faces heavy cost pressure due to sharply rising memory prices. • Xiaomi 18 Fold: • Features a "medium-fold" passport-sized design, 5.02 mm thickness when unfolded, and weighs 219g (lighter than iPhone Pro Max). • Powered by the in-house XRing O3 AI processor and CXMT DRAM chips; supports three side-by-side apps. • Priced between 10,999 yuan (US$ 1,540) and 14,999 yuan (US$ 2,100). • Market Context & Share: • China Market Share (Q2): Huawei leads overall with 22.6%, followed by Apple at 18.1% and Xiaomi at 12.4%. • Foldable Dominance: Huawei holds a dominant 68% share of China's folding phone shipments in Q2. • Global & Local Impact: While Samsung remains the top global foldable vendor, expanding foldable competition signals broader technology shifts impacting global device imports and retail pricing in markets like consumer electronics and ICT/BPM.