Xiaomi 18 Fold's repair costs are eye-watering
The official spare part prices announced for the Xiaomi 18 Fold, introduced in China, have highlighted how high repair costs have become for foldable phones.
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Official spare part prices have been announced for Xiaomi's new foldable phone, the Xiaomi 18 Fold, which was introduced in the Chinese market. With a starting price of 10,999 yuan, approximately 1,642 dollars, the device's screen and motherboard replacement fees, in particular, have drawn attention.
The flexible screens and dense component architecture used in foldable phones drive repair costs higher compared to traditional smartphones. For the Xiaomi 18 Fold, the inner screen replacement is listed at 536 dollars, while the fee set for the outer cover screen is 112 dollars.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEMS ARE THE SCREEN AND MOTHERBOARD
The motherboard replacement price for the device varies depending on the selected RAM and storage capacity. For the entry-level model with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, the motherboard fee is at the 581-dollar level. In the top-tier configuration with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage, this figure rises to as much as 885 dollars.
| Part | Announced replacement fee |
|---|---|
| Inner screen | 536 dollars |
| Outer cover screen | 112 dollars |
| Motherboard 12 GB/256 GB | 581 dollars |
| Motherboard 16 GB/1 TB | 885 dollars |
| Battery | 39 dollars |
| Front camera | 6 dollars |
| Main wide-angle camera | 30 dollars |
The rear cover cost for the Xiaomi 18 Fold Ceramic Special Edition model is also higher than the standard version. The replacement of the battery cover, which is produced from silicon nitride ceramic, is announced at 156 dollars, while the rear panel replacement for the standard model remains at the 37-dollar level.
Among the lower-cost parts are the battery and camera modules. The replacement fee for the 6,000 mAh capacity battery is listed at 39 dollars, the front camera at 6 dollars, and the main wide-angle camera sensor at 30 dollars.
The model's retail prices also vary by version. While the standard Xiaomi 18 Fold starts at 10,999 yuan, the top model goes up to 14,999 yuan, and the Ceramic Special Edition reaches 15,999 yuan. The announced table brings the importance of warranty and additional protection options to the agenda once again when purchasing foldable phones.