In recent years, as smartphones have plateaued, major manufacturers have made numerous forays into other form factors—and foldable phones stand out as one of the more successful ventures to date.

Data shows that global foldable phone sales reached as high as 20 million units in 2025, and foldables have been growing steadily over the past five years. This year, even Apple entered the fray with the iPhone Duo—a clear sign that the market has truly matured and consumers have embraced foldable phones.

Before Apple's entry, the foldable phone market was essentially dominated by Samsung and Huawei, with the two commanding over 70% of the global share combined—leaving other manufacturers far behind.

In the Chinese market, foldables are Huawei's stronghold, with the company alone holding over 70% of the share. All other manufacturers combined account for only a little more than half of Huawei's share.

So the question naturally arises: this Double 11, would Huawei or Apple's iPhone Duo come out on top? After all, Apple's foldable phone had just launched and was heavily sought after—it could well have exploded in sales.

But the result was somewhat surprising: the top spot went to neither Huawei nor Apple, but to Xiaomi—a brand many assumed was not performing well in the foldable segment.

As shown in the chart above, the cumulative sales ranking is led by Xiaomi's MIX Flip 2, followed by Apple's iPhone Duo in second place and Huawei's Pura X Max in third.

Of course, judging by the total number of models on the list, Huawei still clearly dominates. Among the top 10 phones, Huawei had 5 models listed, followed by Xiaomi, VIVO, OPPO, and Honor with one each.

Why did Xiaomi's foldable phone sell so well? There's really only one reason: it's cheap.

Xiaomi's MIX Flip 2 is a vertically folding compact foldable. After discounts, it starts at just over 4,000 yuan, and with its high-end specs, its cost-effectiveness is quite impressive.

It's clear that no matter the type of phone, a low price and high value for money are the biggest weapons. This holds true for bar phones and equally so for foldables. This may also be the most direct reason Xiaomi keeps selling more and more, and has attracted so many fans.