Xiaomi's Fold Looks Like the iPhone Duo. Who Copied Whom?

The internet has decided that Xiaomi copied the iPhone Duo. The dates make that harder to say. Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 18 Fold at a launch event in China on 7 September 2026. Apple announced the iPhone Duo, its first foldable, two days later, on 9 September.

What does look alike

• Both are wide, passport-style foldables that open like a book, not tall phones that open into a square.
• Spec comparisons put the inner screens at 7.58 inches for Xiaomi and 7.6 inches for Apple, with nearly the same proportions.
• Tech journalist Yogesh Brar said Xiaomi often adopts Apple's design ethos and argued the 18 Fold lacks an identity of its own.
• Xiaomi founder Lei Jun said in 2022, as reported by 9to5Mac, that the company aims to benchmark against Apple.

What does not

By the spec sheets, this is not a lazy copy. According to RS Web Solutions' comparison, the Xiaomi weighs 219g against the Duo's 254g, has a 6,000mAh battery against 5,400mAh, and includes a 3.5x telephoto camera that the Duo lacks. Apple uses a titanium frame and a hinge with more than 100 components, and rates the Duo IP68 for water resistance. Xiaomi uses aluminium and a three-link hinge it calls Dragon Bone.

The Xiaomi starts at CNY 10,999, roughly $1,640. The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB. Independent reviews of both are still to come, so the spec sheet is all we can compare.

What the resemblance implies

• New categories converge. A wide fold with a screen of about 7.6 inches solves the same problems of pocket size and screen shape for everyone, so rival designs drift together.
• Benchmarking Apple is Xiaomi's stated strategy. Resemblance is the visible cost of that choice, and it is also why critics say there is little that is distinctively Xiaomi.
• Leaks shrink the gap. Apple's foldable had been rumoured for a long time, with prices tipped before launch, so rivals could see roughly where the target was.

What it means for buyers

The Xiaomi 18 Fold is confirmed only for China so far, according to reports, and the Duo goes on sale on 23 October in the US and more than 70 countries, with 28 more markets on 30 October. For readers in Africa the practical questions are availability, local warranty and repair, not who drew the hinge first.