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In this article, we’ll compare two brand new foldable smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Xiaomi MIX Fold 3. The first one launched at the end of last month, while the second one arrived in mid-August. Both of these phones are book-style foldables, and are essentially competing for similar types of users. Unfortunately, though, the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 is not available globally, the only thing you can do is import it.
Having said that, the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 does have some advantages over the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which should make this comparison rather interesting. Samsung’s foldable has its upsides too, of course. That being said, we’ll first list their specifications, and will then compare the two phones across a number of categories. Let’s get started.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 & Xiaomi MIX Fold 3, respectively
– Screen size (main):
7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (120Hz, HDR10+, 1,750 nits)
8.03-inch Foldable LTPO OLED+ (120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 1,300 nits)
– Screen Size (cover):
6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X (120Hz)
6.56-inch AMOLED (120Hz)
– Display resolution (main):
1812 x 2176
2160 x 1916
– Display resolution (cover):
2316 x 904
2520 x 1080
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (overclocked)
– RAM:
12GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB/16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, 123-degree FoV), 10MP (telephoto, 3x optical zoom)
50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, OIS), 10MP (ultrawide, 120-degree FoV), 10MP (telephoto, 3.2x optical zoom), 10MP (telephoto, 5x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
4MP (under display, main display, f/1.8 aperture), 10MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture)
20MP (main & cover display, wide, f/2.3 aperture)
– Battery:
4,400mAh
4,800mAh
– Charging:
25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless (no charger)
67W wired, 50W wireless (charger included)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm
161.2 x 143.3 x 5.3mm
– Dimensions (folded):
154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4mm
161.2 x 73.5 x 10.9mm
– Weight:
253 grams
255/259 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Side-facing fingerprint scanner
– OS:
Android 13 with One UI
Android 13 with MIUI Fold 14
– Price:
$1,799
CNY8,999 ($1,239)
– Buy:
Samsung
Xiaomi (China only)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Xiaomi MIX Fold 3: Design
Both of these devices are made out of metal and glass. They are both also rather tall and narrow when folded, though the Galaxy Z Fold 5 takes the narrow aspect to a whole new level. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 has sharper corners, while both have thin bezels around their cover displays. There is also a display camera hole on each of the two cover displays. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 has a display camera hole on the main panel, while the Galaxy Z Fold 5 hides it under the display.
Having said that, both smartphones do fold flat, but the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 is much narrower when folded. It measures 10.9mm when folded, compared to 13.4mm of the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It’s also thinner when not folded at 5.3mm, compared to 6.1mm. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 is a larger phone overall, which is not surprising considering it has larger displays. What is surprising is the fact that it weighs exactly as much as the Galaxy Z Fold 5, well, a couple of grams more, but the difference is negligible.
Their backsides look entirely different. The Galaxy Z Fold 5’s is flat, and there are three vertically aligned cameras included in the top-left corner. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 has a camera island in the upper portion too, with four cameras, and Leica lenses. That portion of the phone is actually raised, as the backplate raises gradually to reach it. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 does come with an IPX8 rating for water resistance, while the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 does not.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Xiaomi MIX Fold 3: Display
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 features a 7.6-inch 2176 x 1812 main display. That is a foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It also supports HDR10+ content, and has a slightly higher screen-to-body ratio than the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The max brightness here is 1,750 nits The cover display on this phone is a 6.2-inch 2316 x 904 Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. This panel is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and has a 23.1:9 aspect ratio.
The Xiaomi MIX Fold 3, on the flip side, includes an 8.03-inch 2160 x 1916 Foldable LTPO OLED+ display. That panel has a 120Hz refresh rate too, and can project up to 1 billion colors. HDR10+ is supported here, as is Dolby Vision. This display can provide you with 1,300 nits of brightness, max. The cover display measures 6.56 inches, and has a 2520 x 1080 resolution. It offers a 21:9 aspect ratio, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2. This is an AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it does support HDR10+ content, and Dolby Vision. It goes up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness.
All four displays on these two phones support a 120Hz refresh rate, and all four of them are quite good. The main display of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has the advantage of being brighter than the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3’s, but the cover displays deliver an entirely different story. All displays are bright enough, though, and they offer a good touch response. The viewing angles are also quite good, and the blacks are deep. All displays are also quite vivid, no complaints here.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Xiaomi MIX Fold 3: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 fuels both of these smartphones, even though it comes with different brandings. Both versions of the chip are overclocked, basically, not the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 models. In addition to that, you’ll find 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM inside the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM inside the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3. They both offer UFS 4.0 flash storage too.
When it comes to regular, everyday performance, both phones shine. They’re very smooth, and handle multitasking really well, along with anything else you can think of. Things are a bit different in the gaming department, though. They both do a good job, but the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 has a tendency to heat up more, and that can be an issue with longer gaming sessions, especially if graphically demanding titles are in play. That’s something to keep in mind, though Xiaomi could try to fix that via software. In general, however, both smartphones offer really good performance.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Xiaomi MIX Fold 3: Battery
There is a 4,400mAh battery inside the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and a 4,800mAh unit inside the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3. The battery life is good on both phones, but the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 wins easily in that regard. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 provided us with under 7 hours of screen-on-time, most of the time. We managed to reach that mark, though, sometimes. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 3, on the flip side, goes over the 8-hour screen-on-time mark if you need it to.
Do note that your mileage may vary, though. You’ll be using different apps, under different signal strengths, and in different ways. There are also two displays to consider here, on both phones. So… you may get entirely different results. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 should be able to provide you with better battery life regardless, though.
The charging department is another spot where the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 beats the Galaxy Z Fold 5, easily. It supports 67W wired, and 50W wireless charging. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 offers support for 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The charging speeds are not even close. On top of everything, the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 does come with a charger in the box too, unlike the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Xiaomi MIX Fold 3: Cameras
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 includes a 50-megapixel main camera (PDAF, OIS), a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (123-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS). The Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 has a 50-megapixel main camera (f/1.8 aperture, OIS, PDAF), a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (120-degree FoV), and two 10-megapixel telephoto units. Both offer PDAF and OIS support, one comes with 3x optical zoom, while the other offers 5x optical zoom. Leica lenses are also in use here.
While the Galaxy Z Fold 5 provides really good pictures, the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 has it beat. Xiaomi really managed to cram in respectable hardware here. The images from the main camera are just vivid enough, not too much, while the Galaxy Z Fold 5 can go overboard in that regard, especially in some scenarios. The dynamic range is quite good on both phones. Their ultrawide cameras do a good job, that goes for both of them, while the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 does take the upper hand in the telephoto department.
It takes better zoom shots across the board, it doesn’t really matter how far you zoom in. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 does compete well up to 3x, though. In low light, both smartphones do a good job, though the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 does keep the shadows a bit darker to give you a more realistic look.
Audio
If you need a headphone jack on your phone, well, neither of these two devices offers one. You’ll need to rely on their Type-C ports for wired audio connections. If you prefer to go wireless, however, you’ll be glad to know that both offer Bluetooth 5.3 support.
Both smartphones are also equipped with stereo speakers, and both sets are above average in terms of loudness. They’re more than loud enough, and the sound output is well-balanced. The sound is rich, and will likely please most of you.