vivo X Fold5 Becomes First Non-Huawei Large Foldable to Surpass 500,000 Sales

The vivo X Fold5 has quietly achieved what no other non-Huawei foldable phone has managed in China: crossing the half-million sales mark. According to industry leaker @RD观测, cumulative sell-out of the device surpassed 520,000 units as of the end of last month, cementing its status as a rare breakout hit in the ultra-premium foldable segment.

The milestone is striking given the competitive landscape. Huawei has long dominated China’s foldable market with its Mate X series, but vivo’s achievement signals that a second player can carve out meaningful volume in the large-screen foldable category. The X Fold5, which launched in June 2025, arrived with a compelling spec sheet: a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, a 6,000 mAh battery, and an impressively light 217-gram chassis — all starting at 6,999 yuan (roughly $960).

The device launched in four configurations: a 12GB+256GB base model at 6,999 yuan, scaling up to a 16GB+1TB flagship variant at 9,499 yuan. That pricing, while still premium, undercut comparable Huawei foldables and likely played a role in driving adoption.

vivo isn’t resting on this success. The company is set to unveil the X Fold6 on June 26, and early teasers promise a generational leap. The successor will reportedly debut a MediaTek Dimensity 9500 Ultra chip — positioned as a “purpose-built SoC for large-screen foldables” — alongside a massive 7,000 mAh BlueOcean battery featuring the industry’s first fifth-generation silicon anode technology. Water resistance also gets a significant upgrade: the X Fold6 is rated IPX8 and IPX9, meaning it can survive both submersion and high-pressure water jets, with the company claiming full operability underwater.

The X Fold5’s sales figures offer a rare glimpse into the commercial viability of large foldables beyond Huawei’s ecosystem. With over half a million units shipped, vivo has demonstrated that there is genuine consumer appetite for well-executed foldables — a signal that will likely encourage other manufacturers to invest more aggressively in the category.