Xiaomi's Two-Pronged Handset Blitz: Foldable Flagship, Budget Battery King — and a Share Price Still Nursing a 33% Yearly Loss

Xiaomi unveiled the 18 Fold and Redmi Note 17 series while India's Serious Fraud Office recommended a review of its local business model.

Xiaomi is pressing ahead on two fronts at once, pairing a push into the high-margin premium tier with a refreshed volume lineup, even as its equity struggles to shake off a bruising year. The Chinese technology group unveiled the Xiaomi 18 Fold on September 7, a foldable aimed squarely at the top end of the market and timed to land just ahead of rival Apple's own product reveals. The device spans a price band of 10,999 yuan to 14,999 yuan, putting it in direct contention with Huawei, which has staked out the same premium foldable territory.

That flagship debut is flanked by a broader hardware offensive. Xiaomi presented the new Redmi Note 17 series for European and Southeast Asian markets a day earlier, targeting the mass segment with batteries built on silicon-carbon technology. At the European launch event in Budapest, the company rolled out several variants, led by the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max 5G and its 9,210 milliampere-hour cell. For European buyers, the sibling Redmi Note 17 Pro 5G arrives with an 8,340 mAh battery. The lineup also carries a six-year security update pledge — a direct swipe at entrenched competitors.

Chips In-House, Flagships Incoming

The premium drive runs alongside efforts to deepen Xiaomi's grip on its own technology stack. On August 24, the group showcased a new generation of its in-house Xring mobile processor, part of a strategy to gain tighter control over core components and steadily reduce reliance on outside semiconductor suppliers. For hardware makers, custom silicon is seen as a key lever for aligning hardware and software more precisely while cushioning supply-chain shocks.

Meanwhile, the company is readying a refresh of its top-tier lineup. Industry reports indicate the series will use Qualcomm's next-generation Snapdragon processor, retaining a secondary rear display embedded in the camera module that can generate its own mini-applications through integrated software.

India Scrutiny Clouds the Overseas Picture

The hardware momentum contrasts with a more demanding international landscape. India's Serious Fraud Office recommended a thorough review of Xiaomi's local business model and its compliance with foreign investment rules. Xiaomi told Reuters it had received no such notice from authorities and said it always abides by all applicable laws.

A Cautious Stabilization on the Market

In the markets, the mix of operational progress and regulatory risk shows up as a hesitant recovery. The stock last changed hands at EUR 2.90, slipping 1.5% in the prior session. Over a 30-day window, the shares have added 4.0%, suggesting the quote has at least paused its earlier pullback. The longer view remains scarred: year-to-date, the stock is down 33%.

Xiaomi holds third place in the European smartphone market, yet the steady stream of product activity has done little to move the share price so far. Whether the battery offensive and the new flagships deliver the hoped-for lift will hinge largely on global consumer demand — and, closer to home, on how the Xiaomi 18 Fold fares in its domestic market.