2026 could finally be the year when foldables become mainstream

Worldwide smartphone sales have seen a meager growth in 2025. Different research agencies have cited growth rates ranging from 1.5% to 3% for the first, second, and third quarters of the year. Meanwhile, the foldable category expanded at a much faster rate, with Counterpoint reporting 14% year-on-year growth in Q3 2025, led by the success of the reinvented Galaxy Z Fold 7 and its rivals in the book-style format. In 2026, this growth could nearly double as new and innovative products, such as the Galaxy Z TriFold, help shape the future of the foldable segment.

A more recent IDC report predicts that the foldable segment will grow steadily through 2029. The next year, i.e., 2026, specifically will see an enormous 29.7% year-on-year growth in foldable sales. In comparison, sales of regular smartphones are expected to decline by 1.4% as people keep their phones longer, leading to a plateau in sales.

The strong demand is expected to be backed by new foldable categories, including the recently unveiled Galaxy Z TriFold, which will be available in the US starting early 2026. Huawei’s HarmonyOS-powered foldables are also slated to play a notable role in this growth.

However, the bigger driver will be Apple’s entry into the category later in the year with its purported folding iPhone. IDC predicts the not-so-outrageous selling price of $2,400 (as per recent rumors) could allow the folding iPhone to capture 22% of the foldable market share by units and 34% by value.

IDC predicts that since people now tend to use phones much longer than they previously did, new and alluring innovations, such as multifold screens, can motivate people to upgrade to newer devices. The research firm also notes that the first folding iPhone will drive greater interest in the segment and spark the sudden momentum that has been lacking so far. Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of client devices at IDC, says

The launch of Apple’s first foldable iPhone…is likely to boost category awareness and drive consumer interest. Apple tends to be a catalyst for mainstream adoption of new categories.

Apple’s share in the foldable segment is also expected to grow over the coming years, eating into Android-based foldable market share. Meanwhile, Huawei’s share is expected to remain stagnant despite Apple’s impact, suggesting lower interest in China than in the global market.

Additionally, while the foldables segment is expected to grow at a 17% CAGR through 2029, regular phones are expected to increase by only 1% over the same period. Another reason for the lackluster growth of regular phones is the increasing prices of DRAM modules, which could increase the prices of the devices overall.

Despite its humongous growth, the foldable segment will represent only a minuscule percentage of overall smartphone sales by volume, but is expected to become a key driver of revenue for manufacturers, since the average selling price is three times that of a regular phone.

Of course, the assumption rests on Apple actually launching a folding iPhone in 2026, which, by many means, seems likely. Among its key characteristics, Apple could rely on a “metallic glass” hinge and a 24MP under-display selfie camera to set its folding iPhone apart from the rest of the offerings. This folding iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 series in the fall this year.