Xiaomi’s newly released foldable smartphone may not be getting a global launch (unlike the Xiaomi 18 Pro Series), but that hasn’t stopped one person from testing it out with SIM cards from US service providers such as AT&T and Verizon. A user shipped the phone from Hong Kong-based retailer Wonda Mobile and, in a Reddit post, said it had “no immediate issues” with a Verizon SIM card.

The user (u/OK_Dare6400) says the phone “is very impressive in many ways,” but its compatibility with US-based providers has mixed results – which is as to be expected. The phone remains a China-exclusive model, and sales numbers are already impressive, despite a much more crowded foldable phone market in the region, with a variety of options from domestic brands.

It’s probably not worth shipping a Xiaomi 18 Fold to the US

The Xiaomi 18 Fold features phone frequency bands (a specific range of radio communication) used by the Verizon network, so the device connects fine and supposedly runs on 5G, but “I don’t believe that was actually true,” says the user. Actual speeds were much lower than expected.

u/OK_Dare6400 says “all data ceased from working” after around 5 hours of using the Xiaomi 18 Fold in the United States. We don’t know about you, but we’d say reliability is one of the main things you want in a service provider, so this isn’t exactly what we’d call working condition. After giving up on the SIM card, the user tested it the following day, reporting that it was indeed working again, but suffered from a “roughly 1-minute” outage and other hints at an inconsistent data connection.

As for the AT&T SIM card, it reportedly “did not work at all” on the unlocked phone. Xiaomi currently seems to have no plans to launch the foldable in the United States – it launched in China on September 10, just one day after Apple’s iPhone Duo reveal.

T-Mobile may be another provider worth testing in the future, as Xiaomi devices historically work well with the carrier, but AT&T and Verizon are the only two US carriers we’ve seen being experimented with for the Xiaomi Fold 18 so far. “My assumption is that this device is going to work best for T-Mobile,” says u/OK_Dare6400. “I would try them out, but they aren’t reliable in my area,” they added. We suppose it’s only a matter of time before someone tests it out with a T-Mobile SIM card.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.