Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 review

Competition

The Mix Fold 3 once again places us in a weird situation we've been with a few previous Xiaomis and some other high-end foldables of having to theorize how it compares to potential rivals and imagine what it would be like if it was sold globally. We could do that, of course, it's just that we'd rather be faced with a more practical predicament.

The Galaxy Z Fold5, the most widely available and possibly the overall most sensible option for a large foldable, naturally comes to mind first. The Samsung will give you a much more productivity-focused feature set right out of the box, plus support for a stylus. It's also got the waterproofing that Xiaomi hasn't bothered to achieve. The Mix looks like the better cameraphone for stills, though the Galaxy likely wins for video capture. The Xiaomi's longer battery life and faster charging help reinforce its case too.

Also globally available, technically, but limited in its global appeal because of lack of Google services, the Huawei Mate X3 presents a viable alternative to the Mix Fold 3. It too has an IPX8 rating, like the Galaxy, and unlike the Mix. Charging speed is a toss-up, but battery life is better on the Xiaomi, and its displays are generally superior too. Once again, the Mix is likely the better photo camera, but the Mate is a more capable camcorder. The Mate runs on last year's chipset, though, which is a bummer.

The Honor Magic V2 addresses a few of those complaints - it matches the Mix Fold 3 in terms of chipset and has Google services. A truly global version is quite possibly on its way too, making it one better than the Xiaomi from our perspective. Not quite as good at zooming in, the Magic has a very intriguing camera system still, but we'll need to wait for a review unit to establish its capabilities. It's a similar thing with battery life and the rest of the measurable bits.

We did get to experience the vivo X Fold2 already, and we particularly liked it for a specific reason you'd probably not think of at first - its dual under-display fingerprint sensors set it apart from the side-mounted competitors. That's hardly enough to make it the go-to option all on its own, so it's good that the X Fold2 is capable in the other key areas - it's got essentially the same displays as the Mix, similar battery life in actual use (not as good at idling though), and faster charging. While similarly a China-only release, the vivo does have a less Chinese-looking software build so it could be a better option for gray-importing.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 • Huawei Mate X3 • Honor Magic V2 • vivo X Fold2

Verdict

The Mix Fold 3 is another step in the right direction for the Xiaomi foldable lineup, if not quite as dramatic as the transition from the first to the second generation. That said, some things haven't been addressed yet, like the waterproofing, less than ideal thermals, lackluster video capabilities and software that's not as useful as it could be. The move from an autofocusing ultrawide to a fixed focus one also perplexes us.

However, this third generation does bring meaningful upgrades. We're fans of longer reach and we very much appreciate the 5x telephoto, and it's nice that there's a 3.2x unit to bridge the gap too - there haven't been such zoom-focused foldables lately. Tying nicely with the enhanced imaging setup is the new hinge design that adds another layer of usefulness to the form factor. Also improved are the displays, now with some extra nits and better efficiency, which leads nicely us to the Mix Fold 3's superb battery life.

We're absolutely happy that Xiaomi isn't making this one available globally. They'll probably further improve the Mix Fold next year, with 4K on the zoom cameras and an AF-ing ultrawide, and add waterproofing and only then make it go worldwide. This one can stay in China for all we care. Sour grapes, much?

Pros

• Rich retail bundle with a 67W charger and a premium case.
• Classy design, hinge can now remain open in intermediate positions.
• Thoroughly wonderful displays, Dolby Vision support too.
• Class-leading battery life, wireless charging is also on the table now.
• Excellent speakers.
• Great photo quality across all cameras (well, the rear ones, that is).
• IR blaster, still.

Cons

• China-exclusive release with a ton of Chinese apps pre-installed.
• No waterproofing.
• Somewhat limited software implementation for the large screen.
• Tendency to overheat under prolonged load, both CPU and GPU.
• No AF on the ultrawide camera.
• Some hiccups in video stabilization, no 4K video on the telephotos.