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Who made the better foldable smartphone, Xiaomi or Samsung? We take a look at the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 (right) and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. Photo: Ben Sin

Xiaomi’s Mix Fold 2 vs Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4: foldable smartphones compared. Which is better?

  • We take a look at how the two latest foldable smartphones from Xiaomi and Samsung compare when it comes to design, features, performance and battery
  • While the Xiaomi’s hardware looks superior, Samsung’s hinge feels sturdier. Likewise, Samsung’s software can do more – even if Xiaomi’s is better looking
Smartphones

Xiaomi’s launch of its Mix Fold 2 less than a day after Samsung introduced the Galaxy Z Fold 4 earlier this month shows that competition in the foldable smartphone market is heating up.

At first glance, and going purely by its hardware, the Chinese release seems more impressive – but how does it stack up against its rival from the South Korean electronics giant?

Design and hardware

Both Samsung’s Galaxy Fold 4 and Xiaomi’s Mix Fold 2 are devices that fold like a book, and while Samsung practically invented this form factor, the Xiaomi phone trumps Samsung’s in several key areas.
The Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 (right) can fold entirely shut while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 cannot. Photo: Ben Sin
The first and most important: Xiaomi managed to shave significant thickness and weight off its Mix Fold 2, resulting in a device that seems impossibly thin when unfolded (5.4mm or 0.2 inches, barely thicker than the USB-C port housed at the bottom of the device), and only 11.2mm when closed like a book (this is barely thicker than an iPhone 13 Pro Max with a case).

This sleek design is an engineering marvel; all previous foldable phones of this type, including Samsung’s new Fold 4, felt significantly thicker than a normal phone when folded. The gap in size is compounded by the fact that Samsung’s foldables still cannot fold entirely flat, while Xiaomi’s Mix Fold 2 can fold shut.

The Fold 4 (left) is officially rated IPX8 for water resistance, while Xiaomi’s phone has no such rating. Photo: Ben Sin
Then there is the folding screen: both panels are of similar technology – plastic OLED panels covered by a layer of “ultra-thin glass” – but the difference in hinge designs means Samsung’s display still exhibits a harsh crease that can be felt by touch, while Xiaomi’s crease is fainter and harder to notice. If we are just looking at the foldable aspects, Xiaomi’s hardware looks objectively superior.

But Samsung notches victories in several areas. The Fold 4 is officially rated IPX8 for water resistance, while Xiaomi’s phone has no such rating.

Samsung’s hinge also feels sturdier and can stay in place at any angle (like a laptop hinge). This opens up more functional uses, as Samsung’s foldable can essentially serve as its own tripod, allowing the camera lenses to point at any angle within a 180-degree radius.

Samsung’s display still exhibits a harsh crease that can be felt by touch. Photo: Reuters

The Fold 4 also supports stylus input, though you must buy Samsung’s specific version.

The phones’ camera hardware is similar enough, with Samsung taking the edge with its zoom lens (it has a 3X zoom to Xiaomi’s 2X zoom), and the processor powering both phones is identical: Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1.

Overall, Xiaomi takes the win in look and feel, but the Samsung is more versatile and seemingly durable in the hardware department.

A promotional shot of the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2. Photo: Xiaomi

Software and features

Both phones run Android 12 with each brand’s flavour of Android on top. As with the hardware, Xiaomi’s MIUI is the more aesthetically pleasing in my opinion, with smoother, more whimsical animations and livelier wallpapers.

Samsung’s software is more utilitarian, and can do more things. For example, while both UIs take advantage of the tablet-sized screen when folded out for multitasking, Samsung’s system is a bit more robust – it allows users to run two apps in both vertical or horizontal split-screen mode whereas Xiaomi’s can only do the former.

Samsung also has DeX, a sandbox UI that outputs Windows-like set-up to an external monitor. The Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 cannot output to an external monitor at all because it uses an older USB 2.0 standard.

And because the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 is only officially sold in China, Google apps do not come pre-installed. These can be installed easily, but are not integrated into the core UI of the Mix Fold 2 the way they are in Samsung’s Fold 4.

Samsung (right) and Xiaomi (left) both use 50MP main camera sensors and similar ultra-wide shooters. Photo: Ben Sin

Performance and battery life

Neither phone is lacking in power thanks to the latest Qualcomm chip, but again, Samsung’s software just allows the Fold 4 to do a bit more. Camera performance is close in wide and ultra-wide photography, as both phones use 50MP main camera sensors and similar ultra-wide shooters. Samsung takes the win in zoom photography, as mentioned.

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 has given me slightly better battery life because of the combination of a slightly larger battery and more aggressive software optimisation, but Samsung’s battery life is fine. Both phones can finish a full 12- or 13-hour day with plenty of juice left.

Samsung’s system allows users to run two apps in both vertical or horizontal split-screen mode, whereas Xiaomi’s (right) can only do the former. Photo: Ben Sin

Conclusion

It’s hard to pick a clear winner. Xiaomi scores in the technical aspects – the fact it managed to make a foldable phone this light and thin – but Samsung’s software is more polished and refined.

Xiaomi’s Mix Fold 2, which starts at 8,999 yuan (US$1,310), is also priced more attractively than Samsung’s, priced at US$1,800 or equivalent in most regions (in Hong Kong, its official retail price is HK$15,598). But this price gap only matters for those living in China. Importing the Mix Fold 2 is an option, but that drives up the price, and there is no warranty.

Ultimately, Xiaomi’s foldable flexes its hardware prowess, but Samsung’s Z Fold 4 is still the mainstream foldable most interested consumers should buy.

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