How Xiaomi managed to launch a foldable phone cheaper and thinner than Samsung’s

We haven’t seen anything like it for a long time. Less than 24 hours after Samsung presented its new foldable phones, Xiaomi has counterattacked with a new model that is cheaper, thinner and has a more attractive design, the MIX Fold 2.

[Probamos los nuevos plegables de Samsung, los Galaxy Z Fold 4 y Galaxy Z Flip 4]

It’s a blow for a Samsung that doesn’t deserve it, after all it’s bet on foldables; in fact, Xiaomi uses its flexible OLED panels, making it clear what the industry benchmark is. But there’s no denying that Xiaomi managed to grab attention with this “counter-programming”, and the big question is how it was done.

Has Samsung rested on its laurels?

The Galaxy Unpacked was one of the most important events of the year, even knowing that the smartphones presented were not going to be a revolution compared to the last generation. At first glance, these are identical phones, and only if we look and examine the spec sheet, we find differences.

We have already said: the big news of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 are in the software, and the phone itself is extremely similar to last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 3. It’s not that there’s no news, eye, but it gives us the feeling that Samsung has been a little stagnant.

This bittersweet feeling of Samsung’s presentation turned into disappointment when, the next day, Xiaomi presented its new Xiaomi MIX Fold 2. A foldable mobile with the same configuration of the Galaxy Z Fold 4, with a large flexible internal screen and a regular-sized external screen for when the mobile is closed; but superior in several respects to Samsung’s offering.

The MIX Fold 2 is the thinnest folding mobile we’ve seen so far in this configuration, measuring just 5.4mm thick when open and 11.2mm when closed. This, despite the fact that it uses the same Samsung Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor since it weighs practically the same and has practically the same battery (although Xiaomi’s fast charge is more powerful).

It may seem that, on paper, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the MIX Fold 2 can face each other on equal terms, but in reality Xiaomi has a very clear advantage: price. In China, the MIX Fold 2 will cost just 8,999 yuan, or around 1,290 dollars, while the Galaxy Z Fold 4 costs almost the same price as its predecessor, 1,799 dollars. What happened?

Xiaomi’s secret

Before criticizing Samsung more harshly, we need to explain how Xiaomi managed to get such a low price for such a powerful and advanced device. The first users who took the mobile already know this “trick”, and the reactions are mixed.

The key is that Xiaomi has opted for a much simpler hinge design for the MIX Fold 2, which significantly reduced costs. The hinge is the fundamental element of foldable phones, as Samsung itself knows after controversies such as the “creases” that appeared on the screen or the dirt that accumulated on the edges.

The MIX Fold 2’s hinge isn’t bad and in fact introduces many new solutions such as the “drop” shape in which the screen bends to prevent creases from forming. But it also presents some sacrifices, such as the IPX8 splash resistance, which the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has, or perhaps more importantly, the possibility of leaving the mobile half-open.

Samsung calls the latter “Flex Mode”, and it allows leave the screen fixed in a position, with the upper half raised. This is very useful for dividing the screen into two halves, each with a function; for example, leave the lower part for the keyboard and the upper part for the text that we type, or the lower part for the camera controls and the upper part for the viewfinder.

The Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 has none of that; simply, the hinge only serves to completely close and open the device, without compromise. This eliminates many possibilities of the folding screen and can be a real reason not to buy the phone.

So it’s not like Samsung is charging more for the fun. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the evolution of a very veteran saga, which compiles solutions to problems encountered in previous generations, and which is paid for. Still, the MIX Fold 2 remains a warning to Samsung that it should release cheaper foldables sooner rather than later.

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