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Xiaomi Mix Fold 3: The thinnest foldable with a new improved hinge

Xiaomi has unveiled its third-generation foldable smartphone, the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3. The Fold 3 has now taken the crown for the thinnest foldable smartphone overthrowing the Honor’s Magic V2. It has a better hinge with a new design and an upgraded rear camera module.

The Fold 3 is the successor of the Mix Fold 2 launched around a year ago. The Fold 2 had issues where, when unfolded, it could not hold the intended position properly, often ending up either completely folded or entirely unfolded. However, Xiaomi has sold the problem in the Fold 3 which can be kept at any position when unfolded making it useful for taking videos and photos using it as a tripod.

The foldable is the new flagship addition this year by Xiaomi after the launch of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra back in April. The 13 Ultra has been a tough competitor to the other flagships launched this year. Mix Fold 3 will likely compete against the newly released Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5.

Let us see what the foldable smartphone offer in terms of specs.

Specifications of Xiaomi Mix Fold 3

Dimensions Length: 161.2mm
Width: 73.5mm (folded) 143.28mm (unfolded)
Thickness:
10.96mm (folded-Moon Shadow Black/Xingyao Gold)
10.86mm (folded-Xiaomi Dragonscale Fiber Edition) | 5.26mm (unfolded)
Weight 259 g ( Moon Shadow Black/Xing Yao Gold)
255 g (Xiaomi Dragonscale Fiber Version)
Display size Main screen: 8.03-inch
Cover screen: 6.56-inch
Display type Main screen: Pol-less Plus
Cover screen: Flexible AMOLED
Resolution Main screen: 2,160 x 1,916
Cover screen: 2,520 x 1,080
Refresh rate Main screen: 120 Hz
Cover screen: 120 Hz
Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
CPU Octa-core (1×3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3×2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
GPU Adreno 740
OS Android 13, MIUI Fold 14
RAM 12 GB | 16 GB
Storage 256 GB | 512 GB | 1 TB
Rear camera Leica main camera: 50 MP|Sony IMX800|f/1.77
Leica telephoto: 10 MP|f/2.0 aperture
Telephoto: 10 MP|f/2.92 aperture
Leica Super wide-angle: 12 MP|f/2.2 aperture
Selfie camera Main screen: 20 MP
Cover Screen: 20 MP
Wi-Fi  WiFi 7, WiFi 6 enhanced version, WiFi 5, WiFi 4 and 802.11a / b / g
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.3
Audio Stereo speakers
SIM Dual SIM
Sensors Under-screen ambient light (colour temperature) sensor丨Acceleration sensor丨Hall sensor|Fingerprint sensor|Under-screen optical distance sensor|Gyroscope丨Electronic compass|Linear motor丨Infrared remote control丨Barometer丨Rear light (colour temperature) sensor|Flicker sensor
Battery 4,800mAh
Charging 67 W wired charging
50 W wireless charging
Supports wireless reverse charging
Colours Dragon Scale Fiber Edition
Moon Shadow
Star Gold
Price (expected) 12/256GB: Rs 190,000
16/512GB: Rs 215,000
16GB/1TB: Rs 235,000

Design and display

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 has a new design compared to the Mix Fold 2. Xiaomi has upgraded the hinge which makes the phone a lot better compared to its earlier version. Crafted from a stronger, more durable material, the new hinge is slimmer and lighter, ensuring a smoother folding experience.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3's hinge. Photo: Xiaomi China
Photo: Xiaomi China

It supports a wider range of angles from 0 to 180 degrees, enabling versatile usage like creating a tablet or a stand. This enhanced hinge represents a significant leap in durability, versatility, and overall performance compared to its Mix Fold 2 predecessor.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 hinge. Photo: Xiaomi China
Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 hinge. Photo: Xiaomi China

The rear of the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 now has a slightly bumped camera along with the newly added telephoto camera lens. It has a rectangular-shaped area for the rear cameras. There are three colours which include the Dragon Scale Fiber Edition, Moon Shadow and Star Gold.

The Moon shadow and the Star gold are basic Black and Gold colours respectively whereas the Dragon Scale Fibre Edition is an interesting one. The back of this colour option is made up of ceramic and aramid fibres which is similar to carbon fibre material.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 Dragon Scale Fiber Edition colour. Photo: Xiaomi China
Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 Dragon Scale Fiber Edition colour. Photo: Xiaomi China

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3’s external screen is 6.56 inches with a flexible AMOLED display and a resolution of 2,520 x 1,080. It supports a high frame rate of up to 120 Hz and a touch sampling rate of up to 240 Hz. It has a contrast ratio of 8,000,000:1, supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, and can reach a peak brightness of 2,600 nits.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 external and internal display. Photo: Xiaomi China
Photo: Xiaomi China

The internal screen is larger, measuring 8.03 inches, and offers a 2K+ Super Visual display with a resolution of 2,160 x 1,916. It’s a Pol-less Plus screen with a frame rate of up to 120 Hz and a touch sampling rate of up to 240 Hz.

It has professional colour quality, LTPO technology, different eye protection modes, and the AI Master Image Quality Engine. It also has a contrast ratio of 8,000,000:1, supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, and reaches a peak brightness of 2,600 nits.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3's internal display. Photo: Xiaomi China
Photo: Xiaomi China

The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Victus 2 glass which reduces the drop resistance by 50 per cent. However, it does not have an IP rating.

Performance

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, built on a 4 nm process. Its Octa-core CPU configuration includes a high-performance Cortex-X3 core clocked at 3.36 GHz, alongside 2x Cortex-A715 and 2x Cortex-A710 cores at 2.8 GHz, as well as 3x Cortex-A510 cores at 2.0 GHz. The graphics processing is handled by the Adreno 740 GPU. It operates on the Android 13 operating system, customized with the MIUI Fold 14 interface.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Photo: Qualcomm
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Photo: Qualcomm

It has two RAM options of 12 GB and 16 GB. The 12 GB option is paired with one storage option of 256 GB and the 16 GB option is paired with two storage options of 512 GB and 1 TB.

Camera

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 incorporates the Leica Optics four-camera setup. The primary Leica main camera is a 50 MP resolution and Sony’s IMX800 sensor with a wide f/1.77 aperture. It has a four-in-one 2.0 μm large pixel output, backed by OIS optical image stabilization and PD focus capabilities.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3's rear camera. Photo: Xiaomi China
Photo: Xiaomi China

The remaining three lense on the Mix Fold 3 includes a Leica telephoto lens, with 10 MP, with an f/2.0 aperture that corresponds to a 75 mm focal length, featuring PD focus and OIS optical image stabilisation. Similarly, the Leica periscope telephoto, also at 10 MP, encompasses an f/2.92 aperture for a 115 mm focal length.

This module is equipped with PD focus and OIS optical image stabilization to ensure sharp results. A Leica wide-angle lens, housing 12 MP, with f/2.2 aperture, capturing scenes of about 15 mm focal length and spanning a wide 120° angle. The rear camera has features like Leica Native Dual Image Quality, Dolby Vision support, and various modes encompassing Portrait, Panoramic, Professional, and Super Night Scene 2.0, among others.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3's rear camera. Photo: Xiaomi China
Photo: Xiaomi China

The rear main camera of the Mix Fold 3 supports 8K video recording at 24fps, 4K at 24 / 30 / 60fps, 1080P at 30 / 60fps, and 720P at 30fps. The rear wide-angle camera records 4K at 24 / 30fps, 1080P at 30 / 60fps, and 720P at 30fps, while the rear telephoto camera offers 1080P at 30 / 60fps and 720P at 30fps. Additionally, slow-motion video options abound, ranging from 1080P at 120 / 240 / 480 / 960 / 1920fps to 720P at similar frame rates.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3's rear and front camera. Photo: Xiaomi China
Photo: Xiaomi China

Both the inner and outer screens on the Mix Fold 3 feature a 20 MP selfie camera. The front camera supports a variety of features, including Dolby Vision, Portrait Mode, Time-lapse Photography, and more, with video shooting options available at 720P and 1080P frame rates of 30fps and 60fps

Battery and others

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 is equipped with a 4,800 mAh battery, ensuring prolonged usage. Charging is made efficient with 67 W wired charging and 50 W wireless charging. Additionally, the device supports wireless reverse charging, enabling it to charge other compatible devices.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 charging. Photo: Xiaomi China
Photo: Xiaomi China

In terms of Wi-Fi capabilities, it supports the latest standards, including WiFi 7, WiFi 6 enhanced version, WiFi 5, WiFi 4, and the legacy 802.11a / b / g. Bluetooth connectivity is powered by Bluetooth 5.3, facilitating seamless device pairing and data transfer. For audio, it offers a stereo speaker setup, ensuring an immersive audio experience. It has Dual SIM functionality, enabling users to manage two SIM cards simultaneously.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3. Photo: Xiaomi China
Xiaomi Mix Fold 3. Photo: Xiaomi China

A rich collection of sensors enhances the device’s capabilities, including an under-screen ambient light (colour temperature) sensor, acceleration sensor, hall sensor, fingerprint sensor, under-screen optical distance sensor, gyroscope, electronic compass, linear motor, infrared remote control, barometer, rear light (colour temperature) sensor, and a flicker sensor.

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 is offered in the Dragon Scale Fiber Edition, Moon Shadow, and Star Gold colour options.

The expected prices for the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 in Nepal are Rs 190,000 for the 12/256GB option, Rs 215,000 for the 16/512GB option and Rs 235,000 for the 16/1TB option.

Verdict

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 is a good foldable smartphone that offers a lot of features for its price. The overall specs and the slim and light form factor gives an advantage over other foldable smartphones in the market.

Its main competitors are this year’s releases like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5, Google Pixel Fold, and Honor Magic V2. Even though it is a power-packed foldable smartphone and Xiaomi has brought a lot of major upgrades, Xiaomi needs to provide an IP rating for dust and water resistance.

Overall, the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 is a great foldable smartphone and an advancement in foldable smartphone technology.

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