It’s just been introduced and won’t be coming to Europe as far as we know, but it’s still a great device to take a look at. In this hands-on, we’ll take you through the all-new Xiaomi Mix Fold 3.
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Not for sale, but in our hands
Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 is a completely new masterpiece of the Chinese manufacturer. Xiaomi Holland gave us the chance to play around with the device for a few days to see what it has to offer. It was not possible to publish the full review due to the short testing period. This test model is also equipped with Chinese software, so you can’t even start using Google apps and services out of the box.
For example, the Play Store is not available, so it was not easy to download apps. Choosing the Dutch language in the Fold 3 was also not possible. Of course we downloaded many applications. This way we can get started with a nice browser, social media or some simple games.
As thin as a regular smartphone
In a market foldable There are a few major players active, including Samsung, Motorola, and Oppo. Xiaomi has also released several foldable screen devices and the Mix Fold 3 is the thinnest from the Chinese manufacturer. When folded, it is only 10.9mm thick, excluding the camera island.
For comparison, the Pixel 7 Pro I use most is just one millimeter thinner: 8.9 millimeters. We also recently worked with Samsung’s Galaxy Fold 5 which measures 13.4mm thick when folded, which is a world of difference. Xiaomi’s Fold 3 not only looks slim but also has a good, sturdy finish.
We tested the black model with a faux leather back. You will also find the camera island there which protrudes by a few millimeters and contains no less than four cameras. There was a collaboration again with lens manufacturer Leica, but more on that later.
Color screens
The hinge can be used 500,000 times without breaking and you can use the two halves of the screen at different angles, which again depends on the user scenario. While we find the Samsung Fold 5’s external display quite narrow, it’s very nice on the Mix Fold 3. It has a 21-to-9 ratio, measures 6.56 inches diagonally and has an excellent resolution of 2520 x 1080 pixels.
When opened, it sports an 8.03-inch display with a resolution of 2160 x 1916 pixels. Both displays are equipped with a color AMOLED panel, which ensures that colors are well displayed and the contrast is endless. If you’re using an app on the external display and open the device, you can immediately continue working on the larger screen.
Of course the crease can be seen and felt, but fortunately it is minimal. Previous generation devices and their folds were much uglier. It’s also nice that the two halves of the Mix Fold 3 connect perfectly with each other when the device is closed.
Multitasking to the next level
If you’re using the screen from the outside, it looks like you’re holding a regular smartphone. If you want to watch a movie, play a game or use some apps side by side, it is better to open the Mix Fold 3. The screen provides enough space to multitask and everything works very easily.
If there are groups of apps that you often want to use next to each other, you can create a shortcut for them and place them on one of your home screens. For example, you can quickly launch WhatsApp and the browser at the same time, or launch the camera and Notes app. It is true that you often see black bars on the screen when watching a video.
Six on-board cameras were developed in collaboration with Leica
There are two selfie cameras placed in small holes in the display and you will find four more cameras in the rectangular camera island. To this end, we have once again teamed up with lens manufacturer Leica. It is a 50-megapixel primary sensor and is equipped with optical image stabilization and autofocus. There’s a 12MP wide-angle camera and two telephoto zoom lenses, each at 10MP. This allows you to zoom objects 3.2 and 5.0 times closer respectively without losing quality.
bee foldable The cameras are never impressive and we don’t see optical zoom very often. In the galleries below, you can see some photos taken with the Mix Fold 3. They are six regular photos, three portrait mode photos, six shots with the normal lens, zoomed in at 3.2x and finally at 5x.
We tested the Mix Fold 3 extensively during our testing period, but there’s no need to complain about the hardware. For example, we see a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor with no less than 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory. Unfortunately, we couldn’t test heavy games like racing games Asphalt or Call of Duty, because we couldn’t sideload them.
Battery life has seemed good in recent days, but we weren’t able to test it for too short a time to make a good judgement. The total battery capacity is 4800 mAh, divided into two batteries. It charges at a maximum of 67W via the included charging cable and plug. This means that the device will be fully charged again in about 45 minutes. Do you prefer wireless charging? This is also possible and works at a maximum of 50W, but you must purchase the appropriate charger.
There are stereo speakers that produce excellent sound, and there’s also an infrared port on board. The fingerprint scanner is tucked into the physical on/off button on the side and does an excellent job
Hands-on conclusion on Xiaomi Mix Fold 3
The Mix Fold 3 is a beautiful smartphone that’s almost as thin as a regular device. You have nothing to complain about about the hardware and in terms of cameras and options, it can easily compete with the high-end devices of 2023.
The software is busy and still busy due to the MIUI skin and it could be a little less. At the moment, there are no plans to bring the device to Europe, but for us, this should happen as soon as possible. If Xiaomi then brings it to market at a competitive price compared to the Fold 5, it could be a minor success.