Apple's foldable iPhone could grab 25% of the market in its first year

Who else thought foldable phones wouldn’t last this long? I know I was in that camp, but fast forward today, and we have more foldable phones in the market than ever. In fact, the latest reports seem to suggest that foldable smartphone shipments in 2026 could actually grow by 30%.

Foldable smartphone shipments to grow in 2026

It’s not hard to see why some might have assumed the foldable phone form factor would die an early death. The phones were incredibly expensive and they felt fragile. But it seems that a lot of people were drawn to the larger display, allowing it to stick around until this day. Now, according to Smart Analytics Global, they project that foldable smartphone shipments will grow by 30% in 2026.

The report also points towards three companies expected to dominate the market. SAG says Samsung will retain its lead at 28% market share for 2026. Huawei is expected to come in second at 27%, and surprisingly Apple will come in third at 25%. Like we said, that’s surprising.

This is because 2026 marks the year Apple is expected to step into the foldables market. The Cupertino company is rumored to launch the iPhone Ultra this September, its first-ever foldable. So for Apple to quickly command 25% of the foldables market share in its first year is surprising and impressive if it’s true.

The report also seems to corroborate earlier reports which claim that Apple is expected to produce as many as 10 million iPhone Ultra units. That’s a lot of confidence for a first-time device.

What about the rest?

Obviously Samsung, Huawei, and Apple aren’t the only foldable makers in the world. There are others like Vivo, Xiaomi, Oppo, Honor, and Motorola. But based on SAG’s report, Honor is estimated to only hold a 7% market share while Motorola is 5%. That leaves about 7% for the rest of the players.

According to Linda Sui, founder of SAG, “The foldable smartphone market is entering a new phase, with competition shifting from simply making devices thinner and lighter toward delivering a more natural everyday smartphone experience.” She also notes, “Wide-fold designs will become a mainstream industry direction, while Apple’s entry will significantly accelerate adoption and increase the importance of the U.S. market beginning in late 2026.”

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