September promises to be the most intense season for flagship devices in recent years, as companies such as Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO, and Honor plan to launch new gadgets within one month. Foldable devices will take center stage this season.
Xiaomi has confirmed the release of its Xiaomi 18 Fold in September. This device will be the first commercial product built on the Xuanjie O3 chip and the brand's first 'wide foldable' product. It differs from the thin MIX Fold line in that it folds into a landscape format resembling a small tablet, and initial supply volumes are estimated at approximately 200,000 – 300,000 units.
Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, internally known as iPhone Ultra, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models. According to reports, it will feature a 5.5-inch external screen, a 7.8-inch internal display, and a folded thickness of about 4.5 mm. To save space, Face ID will be replaced by a Touch ID sensor located on the side button. The price is projected to exceed $2000 USD, potentially reaching $2500 USD for high-capacity models.
Meanwhile, Huawei plans to introduce the Mate XT2 on September 4th, which will be the third model with triple folding. A recently published patent demonstrates a new internal folding mechanism that completely tucks the flexible display inside the body when closed.
Beyond hardware specifications, artificial intelligence is increasingly being integrated directly into operating systems rather than being limited to presentation slides. Xiaomi uses HyperOS 4, based on MiMo, to perform system tasks between applications; OPPO is releasing ColorOS 17 with the AndesGPT function on the device; and Honor is advancing its YOYO assistant to the system execution level.
The second general trend is the increase in prices. Due to the rising cost of components and memory, Xiaomi's smartphone shipments in the second quarter decreased by more than 26% compared to last year, while the average selling price increased by approximately 26%. According to Bloomberg, Apple is preparing for a price hike—the iPhone 18 Pro may start at $1199 USD. Furthermore, TrendForce predicts that memory costs could increase the cost of the 256GB model by approximately 38%. Thus, flagship devices of this generation are undergoing more significant changes and becoming more expensive.