Vivo and Xiaomi look set to bring the next big wave of book-style foldables, and the early leaks point to two very different pitches: one chasing battery bragging rights, the other leaning harder into in-house silicon. If the rumors hold, the Vivo X Fold 6 and Xiaomi Mix Fold 5 could land in the same window as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, which means the second half of the year may turn into a proper foldable shootout.
Vivo X Fold 6 battery and camera leaks
Tipster Bald Panda says Vivo’s next foldable could pack one of the largest batteries ever used in a foldable phone, along with a 200-megapixel main camera. Another leak from Digital Chat Station points to a 7,000mAh battery, which is the kind of number that makes most foldables look a little underfed. The interesting bit is that Vivo may still keep the device ”extremely thin and lightweight,” at least if the leaks are right.
There is also chatter about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 powering the phone. That would put Vivo in the familiar playbook of using a top-end Qualcomm chip while trying to fix the two things foldables still struggle with most: endurance and thickness. Vivo unveiled the X Fold 5 in June 2025, so a similar launch timing would make sense if the company wants to keep momentum without waiting for rivals to steal the spotlight.
Xiaomi Mix Fold 5 may swap names and chips
Xiaomi’s situation is messier, which is very on-brand for a company that likes to keep the naming game just ambiguous enough to annoy everyone. Bald Panda says the foldable may use an upgraded version of Xiaomi’s in-house chipset technology, and a separate report points to the Xring O3. That would be a meaningful step if Xiaomi wants to reduce dependence on outside silicon and sharpen its hardware identity against Honor, Oppo, and Samsung.
The catch is that nobody seems sure what the phone will actually be called. It may ship as the Xiaomi Mix Fold 5, or it may arrive as the Xiaomi 17 Fold. The tipster also suggested a Q3 launch timeline, and with the Xiaomi 18 series expected in September, July now looks like the likeliest opening if Xiaomi wants to avoid cannibalizing its own flagship attention.
What the foldable race looks like now
The broader trend is easy to spot: Chinese brands are no longer treating foldables as a novelty class. They are pushing bigger batteries, better cameras, and more custom chips, while still trying to keep the devices thin enough to avoid the old ”tablet with a hinge” problem. Samsung still matters here, but Vivo and Xiaomi are clearly trying to force the conversation away from design alone and toward all-around specs.
- Vivo X Fold 6: possible 7,000mAh battery
- Vivo X Fold 6: 200-megapixel primary camera
- Vivo X Fold 6: rumored Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
- Xiaomi Mix Fold 5 or Xiaomi 17 Fold: possible Xring O3 chipset
- Xiaomi Mix Fold 5 or Xiaomi 17 Fold: possible Q3 launch, with July looking likely
The real question is which brand gets to define the next generation of foldables first: Vivo with raw battery confidence, or Xiaomi with a stronger in-house chip story. If both phones land on schedule, the next few months should tell us whether buyers want a foldable that lasts longer, or one that sounds more proudly made in-house.